If your business saps your energy, time, and motivation, then you don't own a company you own a problem. Today, I want to introduce you to a powerful new way of looking at business that will revolutionize how you think about your role as an entrepreneur.

Every business, regardless of industry, must go through five basic steps of organizational "growing pains" before it can become a hands-off, revenue-producing asset that you don't have to worry about. The faster you can confront and overcome the challenges common to each step, the sooner you'll be truly "free"—from both a time and income perspective.

Here are the five steps: 

Step 1: Creation

This is the stage where you're beginning as an unknown in the marketplace. It involves researching a viable niche or approach for your business, developing a working prototype of your business model, and launching the enterprise.

Even established businesses sometimes skip putting together a solid business model or researching an exact market niche. If this describes you, one of the most important things you can do is lay a sure foundation. Until you do, you'll be significantly hindered in your ability to transform your business into a profit-producing asset.

Step 2: Chaos

This step is just like it sounds—chaotic! It's when you begin waging the often-bloody battle of becoming cash flow positive. You do this by investing heavily in sales and marketing and other high-impact growth strategies. Your goal is to create effective marketing systems and build enough brand awareness to capture as much market share as possible, as quickly as possible.

Sadly, only a handful of businesses ever make it past this step. If you're struggling to find enough time to work on your business, chances are you're stuck here. Still, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and if you can power through, you'll soon find yourself in the next phase. 

Step 3: Control

This is when you convert cash flow into profit by stabilizing and organizing your operations, measuring your well-chosen performance metrics, and fine-tuning and adjusting the business model.

This step is all about systems: organizing the business so that you aren't needed for every decision, sale, or day-to-day interaction with staff and customers.

Step 4: Prosperity

Your goal here is to solidify a position of dominance in your niche market by economizing and optimizing for efficiency. This will allow you to continue to invest in growth and repay debt. When you've reached this point, you can really start to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Step 5: Freedom 

Your final act is to reproduce yourself and develop a strong core of leaders who will continue to grow the business through partnerships, joint ventures, and acquisitions.

At this point, you will enjoy the luxury that comes from having free time and free cash flow.

Today's Assignment:

Reflect on the five steps outlined above. Figure out which phase you're in. Then, call me at 262.409.7970 for a FREE consultation and let's talk about it! Or download my free ebook at optaprofit.com/ebook. Once we know exactly where you stand, we'll be able to create a custom plan for moving through all the steps as quickly and effectively as possible.