Focus on the Core…No, Not Your Abs

We small and mid-sized business owners are a busy sort. In times past, we might have referred to ourselves as the ultimate multitaskers. Unfortunately researchers have started warning us that too much juggling is killing our brains, so now we all try to cut down.

The good news—the benefits of focus reach beyond our gray matter, right to the bottom line. There are only a handful of actions today and a small set of goals this year that impact a company’s success. Call it the 80:20 rule (known as the Pareto Principle). Or quote Tim Ferris (of 4 Hour Workweek fame), who told us to “DEAL,” in which the “E” stands for eliminating the unimportant. The message is the same: Concentrate on what matters. In other words, focus on the core of the business.

What is core? The specifics differ for each company. Broadly speaking, some people define it as “the products, services, customers, distribution channels and geographic areas that yield the largest return on your investment.” Others say “Whatever is the new thing that creates differentiation, that’s core.”

Let’s take today’s ubiquitous example, Uber. At its core, the company needs a rockin’ ride-share app and a growing network of drivers (at least until artificial intelligence takes over). The app and drivers matter to customers. On the other hand, most of us don’t care about their accounting systems.

There’s no doubt getting the books right is essential. (Ask the IRS if you don’t believe me!) It’s not, however, a differentiator for Uber and shouldn’t absorb undue attention from the C-suite. For one of the Big Four accounting firms, of course, it’s a different story.

As a CRM consultancy, this is a core (get it) message we deliver to prospective clients all the time. We can help you focus by taking on your CRM challenges.

Yes, you could become a CRM whiz and learn all the ins and outs of systems like Act! CRM and Zoho. You could do side-by-side trials, pick one, and customize it to the last detail.

But why would you want to?

The right CRM is a powerful tool. But as a carpenter doesn’t need to forge his hammer, business owners don’t have to get hands-on configuring and migrating this technology. You can treat a CRM like most small businesses do their taxes—hire it out, tap the experts, and get it off your plate!

Whether you’re in microgreens or microwave communications or microscopic robots, you need to steal back all the time possible to get that specialty right. Everything else is a sideline. Although there will be occasions when the scut work has to remain in house, outsourcing is more often the right option.

Because as they keep telling us at the gym, a strong core matters and it only comes with hard work and attention.