Have you ever played the game “Tap Away”? I recently started playing it on my iPad and it just struck me how much it reminded me of running a business.
Just stay with me for a moment.
The point of the game is to clear away blocks. Simple enough, right? Well, each block can only move in one direction and can only move when it can be cleared away (it can’t move just one place). In theory, running a business is also pretty simple, right? We simply need clients who will pay us money for our services or products.
The beginning of Tap Away is easy because there are many options to move the blocks. Same with our business when we first start out. We have a lot of ‘things’ to do so we see progress quickly. We don’t have to be as strategic. We can be a little more random in our actions. But soon, all of the easy blocks have been moved, and all of the easy tasks are completed.
One of the key strategies in the game is to keep rotating the board around to look at it from various angles. A block might look like it’s not able to be moved when looking from one perspective and it can look different from another perspective. Same with our business. There is a challenge that we think can’t be solved, until we shift our perspective and suddenly the option is clear.
As we continue to play Tap Away, the board keeps changing as we clear away blocks. Same with our business, we have to keep assessing where our opportunities are and what might be blocking our access.
I haven’t mentioned the leaderboard yet. As we clear away blocks, we keep moving up the leaderboard, then we level up. When we level up, we essentially start at the bottom of that level’s leaderboard. We do the same thing in our business. As we cross milestones (number of clients, MRR, Revenue) we keep leveling up our business.
The moment we set the game down, get comfortable, and maybe hit a level we are happy with, that is the moment we slide down the leaderboard. There will always be someone else playing the game. We often get comfortable in our business and settle in for a minute. Then we lose a client. And then we realize that because we haven’t been working our systems, we no longer have a steady stream of leads coming in. And the panic begins.
So, what’s the lesson here? We must keep working ON our business, not just IN our business.
Taking a break and a moment to celebrate is important, we know this. But strategically building time to change perspectives and see things from different sides is crucial to your overall success on our own leaderboard.
If you’re ready to level up your business, click here for an introduction to a Certified Profit First Professional. Or, if you’re an accountant, bookkeeper, or coach looking to get to the top of the leaderboard, click here to apply to become a Profit First Professional. See you on the playing field!
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