6 business things to skip and why

Everywhere you look you see something that someone else is doing for their business and you automatically feel like you need to be doing it too. When you see others doing something that is working for them, you think it will work for you and if they’re doing it you probably should be too. But there are some business things to skip on your to-do list while still being successful.

We can’t compare apples to oranges and what’s working for her business might not be necessary for yours. Even if you are both photographers, your businesses are different. You are different. When you get down to the nitty-gritty of your businesses, you run two completely different operations and you need to focus on what’s best for your business. Just because others are doing it doesn’t mean you “should” be doing it too.

6 Things I don’t do for my business and why

I’ve gotten caught in the cycle of should dos too many times and now I’m breaking free to do what’s best for my business and only that. Here are 6 business things to skip that you might think I should be doing and why I don’t do them anymore.

Conferences – Although I have spoken at a conference in the past and loved it, it’s just not feasible for me right now. I have 3 kids at home and every time I’ve considered going to a conference, it just hasn’t been the right time with my kids. They need me right now and I know that is my number 1 priority.
Video – Video is huge right now and a great thing for businesses to do. I love the power of a great video and I know that it can be beneficial for businesses. But for me, video is not the easiest thing to create. That includes professional videos for my website or courses and even Instagram videos or more causal recordings. I do produce some voice over or graphic based videos but I record face to cam videos only when necessary.
Facebook + Twitter – I used to spend extra time each week trying to do Facebook and Twitter content. I’ll be honest, it was never fun and I always felt like I was wasting time. I always got minimal interaction and engagement from those platforms but kept at it because I felt like I needed to. When I stopped to think about it, I realized that it wasn’t worth my time after all. Instead, I use those platforms to direct people to Instagram where I spend more of my time on social and can gather all my followers in one place.
Guest postings and interviews – Being a guest on a podcast or writing for a popular blog are both great marketing tools and have definitely helped me grow my business in the past. But also takes time. You have to research the best connections for your business, complete the submission process, and then (if you are accepted) write the posts or record the podcast. This can be great for gaining exposure and growing your own audience, but you have to weigh the benefit too. If you’re just starting your business I think this is definitely worth it, but in my season, I needed to take a break to focus on other things.
Webinars – I have a love/hate relationship with webinars. I think they can be great marketing tools and I have learned some valuable info from webinars in the past. But at the same time, the world of webinars started to be oversaturated (like everything else in business) and it was hard to keep up. Everyone was doing webinars about everything and I felt inundated with content and too much pressure to produce. Hosting a webinar takes a lot of time and effort. Not only do you have to create the content for it, but you have to figure out the logistics too. While I still think they can be a great tool when used correctly, it just isn’t worth the time for me right now.
Photos – I used to take my own photos for social media and my website all the time. I would schedule a mini photoshoot every month to get new images and spend hours taking photos, editing photos, and cleaning up the mess! I do love styling and taking photos, but I don’t have the time right now to invest in doing it right. Instead, I hired someone else to take photos for me and I started using photos from the library of images I’ve collected over the years.

Recap

If you get anything from this, I hope this gives you permission to look for business things to skip in your own business. What’s that one thing on your list that you dread doing? What isn’t showing any return on your investment (either time or money)? What have you always felt like you “should” be doing that you’d like to stop? It’s time to really evaluate where you’re spending your time and if it’s worth it. In some cases, it might not be. There’s no shame in not doing something that everyone else is doing. Do what’s best for you and your business in your season and you’ll thrive much more that way.

Instead of trying to fight what was right, I decided to give myself some grace and let go of things that aren’t the biggest priority right now in order to leave more room for what is. In the end, I couldn’t be happier with the decision to keep it simple and focus on just what matters most.

Next Steps

If you’re inching towards burnout and need some breathing room, or just feel like you’re wasting time on tasks that aren’t moving the needle, it’s time to evaluate. Take a look at what tasks you spend time on that you don’t enjoy or don’t give any return to your business and ask yourself if they are really worth it. Figure out what business things to skip that won’t have any real impact on your business.