Cut it in Half

“Cut it in half.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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I first noticed that pattern about 6+ years ago. I had just stumbled onto the concept of #minimalism through (none other) than @theminimalists. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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It wasn’t a direct line from them, but finding minimalism was a simple call to think about reducing the items in my house, and it started in my wardrobe… first my shoes, then my shirts, then my pants. After that, came paper, and soon after that, it was a now-empty dresser.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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The second time that line struck a chord was from Katie Selvidge during B.E Driven (affiliate link), previously Editors Course. And this time, it was about my business.

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“Cut it in half.”

She said: Can you cut the work you do in half without sacrificing the result?

And even though I had reduced some of what I did, I realized I could further streamline and simplify my business process for my clients.

• Can you reduce the length of your emails or proposal?

• Can you streamline the bulk of your pricing and proposals?

• Can you reduce the number of emails your client receives throughout the working relationship?

• Can you consolidate and condense the forms your client needs to fill out so you can do your job?

• Can you reduce the number of times you message or outreach to your clients?

And although I couldn’t quite cut the work in half, I definitely got close.⠀⠀

And there’s still another side of this equation: can you elaborate on some items further so YOU aren’t doing unnecessary work to answer client questions?

• Can you add a policies + procedures form when you’re onboarding a new client?

• Can you streamline and simplify your service offerings?⠀⠀

• Do you have a FAQ page in order for potential clients to know what to expect about the process?

• Can you utilize your blog posts or case studies to answer questions that require a more in-depth analysis?

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When I’m called to a challenge as simple as this, it’s hard to turn away… and now, I like to ask myself that question: Can I cut it in half without sacrificing the end result that’s been promised?

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