Curiosity, Change, Simplify: Great Foundations for Business With Tamara Simon

Show Notes

Background

Tamara Simon is an awesome Small Business WORKshop Specialist, Keynote Speaker, Facilitator, Coach and Author who provides clients and audiences with simple solutions to their problems in her passionate, high energy and fun manner (and a bit of tough love thrown in).

For over 25 years, she has been helping owners navigate the complexity and challenging times of small business by repairing, renovating and rebuilding their often expensive hobbies and dysfunctional workplaces into simple profitable small businesses they actually love.

Curiosity Is The Heart of Coaching

Throughout your career, you’ve always been driven by asking why. Asking questions gives valuable insights, and it’s crucial to avoid jumping to assumptions. Saying “I don’t know” is perfectly fine—it opens doors to learning and understanding.

As coaches, it’s essential to ask those questions and, crucially, to listen for the answers. Sometimes we’re so keen to solve the problem with our toolbox of experience that we may miss the heart of the issue. That’s why asking “why” is so powerful. The process of learning, unlearning, and relearning keeps us from becoming complacent and helps us adapt to the ever-changing world, in business and beyond.

When we face new challenges, we often discover skills we didn’t realise we’d need. That curiosity, combined with a willingness to change, keeps us moving forward.

Embrace Changes

Change is inevitable, but it’s about choosing to be part of the process rather than having it happen to us. Many businesses learned this lesson the hard way during the pandemic. The ones that adapted, often through digital means, were able to survive and even thrive. For some, it highlighted the importance of updating outdated systems.

Systems are foundational to a business’s success, even if they aren’t the most glamorous part. They keep things moving efficiently and allow for growth. And, without buy-in from the team, even the best system will fail.

There are two reasons why people don’t follow systems: they either need more training, or they’re choosing not to, which is then a performance issue. Systems are meant to simplify and streamline, but only if everyone is on board.

Learn To Simplify

Simplicity is so important. We often overcomplicate things, adding layers and steps that don’t need to be there. In many cases, simplicity is an art that requires time to develop.

Da Vinci put it well: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” It’s a superpower to make complex things simple. And simplicity isn’t about dumbing things down; it’s about providing clarity. Sometimes, we’re so close to our own processes that we miss obvious areas for improvement.

That’s where visual aids, like post-it notes, are incredibly useful. Mapping out processes on a wall or large paper can reveal redundancies or steps that need rearranging. We’re often too close to see inefficiencies. Systems documentation, even something as simple as a checklist, provides clarity for everyone involved, and these days, tools like screen capture make it much easier.

And for solopreneurs, having systems documented is beneficial if they only perform certain tasks infrequently. Having it all written down saves time when you revisit it months later. Systems also increase the value of your business if you ever decide to sell.

Systems add value by making the business transferable. If everything relies on you, it’s difficult to step back or sell. Having documented systems allows you to delegate, scale, and ultimately have a business that can function without you.

Five Foundational Bricks For Small Business Success You Should Know

What are these? These includes:

1. Embrace Your Role as a Business Owner – Step up and wear the title of business owner proudly. It means taking responsibility not just for the coaching you love but also for every aspect of running a business. Get help where needed.

2. Focus Your Time Wisely – Every day, prioritise business development and sales. Opening your emails first thing isn’t the most effective start. Focus on activities that build revenue and support growth.

3. Design and Document Systems – We’ve covered this extensively. Systems should be simple and effective, tailored to your business needs.

4. Guide Your People – For those with teams, guide rather than just manage. Give team members the tools to succeed and the clarity they need. Inspire them to ask questions and simplify their roles.

5. Build Your Ideal Business – Be clear about who your ideal clients are and ensure your messaging aligns. Remember, you don’t have to help everyone. Build a business that reflects what you want to achieve and one that you love most of the time.