Author: Tracy McCoy
One of the things James and I talk about often is how easy it is to put something off in business. We tell ourselves we'll get to it when things slow down, when we have more money, when we're more prepared, or when the timing feels right. I've done it too.
In Episode 10 of The Fish Slap Effect Podcast, we started with a conversation about what I had been calling the "August Advantage," the idea that August is a great time to start planning your fourth-quarter marketing instead of waiting until you're already in the middle of it. But as James and I talked about it, we realized the bigger conversation wasn't really about August at all. It was about waiting.
Every business owner has something they've been waiting to do. The question is, what is that waiting actually costing you?
There's Always a Reason to Wait
I think entrepreneurs are naturally excited about ideas. We see opportunities everywhere and can imagine all the things we want to do with our businesses. Then, somewhere between the idea and actually doing it, we can get a little paralyzed.
Maybe life is too busy right now. Maybe we'll tackle it when the kids go back to school. Maybe business is too busy, or maybe business isn't busy enough. Maybe we need more money first. Maybe we're waiting until we're completely ready.
One of my biggest pitfalls has always been waiting until something is perfect. I can spend so much time trying to make sure something is exactly the way I want it that I delay putting it out into the world.
I've had to learn that most things in business are going to evolve anyway. Sometimes you have to take the first step, learn from it, make adjustments, and keep moving.
What Does WAIT Really Cost You?
During our conversation, James came up with an acronym for WAIT that I thought summed up the problem perfectly:
- W: Wasted opportunity. The longer you wait, the more opportunities you may be passing by.
- A: Attention is being won by someone else. While you're waiting, your competitors may be showing up and building relationships with the customers you want to reach.
- I: Inactivity equals invisibility. If you're not communicating, creating, marketing, or engaging, it's easy for people to forget about you.
- T: Time favors the active. Momentum comes from continuing to move, even when those steps feel small.
That last one really sticks with me. You don't have to completely transform your business tomorrow. You just have to keep moving it forward.
Waiting Doesn't Always Save You Money
Marketing is often one of the first things businesses postpone because the return isn't always immediate. A business owner may know they need a new website, a brand refresh, better content, or a stronger marketing strategy, but there's always a temptation to say, "We'll do it later."
The problem is that waiting doesn't necessarily save you money. Sometimes it just delays the investment while also delaying the return.
If you have an outdated website that isn't mobile-friendly, for example, you're not just postponing the cost of a new website. You may also be losing potential customers who visit your site, have a poor experience, and leave.
The same thing happens with marketing. If you know you need to start creating holiday content, waiting until the holiday rush means you've already lost valuable time. If you've been talking about creating videos for two years but haven't started, that's two years your competitors have had to build visibility while you've been thinking about it.
Not every investment produces a return tomorrow. Some investments build equity in your business over time.
I've Learned This the Hard Way Too
When I look back at Get Fish Slapped, there are definitely things I wish we had done sooner.
I wish we had invested in ourselves earlier through training, learning, and taking better care of ourselves. I wish we had documented our processes sooner instead of relying on everyone to simply know what needed to happen. I wish we had established certain pieces of our culture and core values earlier in the life of the company.
Even something as simple as having a consistent weekly schedule made a difference. There was a time when we didn't have one, and then we'd get frustrated when expectations weren't clear. Looking back, the solution seems obvious. At the time, we were busy growing and figuring things out as we went.
Pricing is another one. In the early days of a business, it's easy to worry that asking for what you're worth will make you too expensive or less approachable. But waiting too long to properly value your work has a cost too.
Those lessons are part of growing a business. I don't share them because I think every decision should be made quickly. I share them because I've learned there's a difference between being thoughtful and being stuck.
Sometimes Waiting Is the Right Decision
Not every delay is bad.
There have absolutely been times when I'm glad we waited, especially when it came to hiring. Bringing someone onto your team simply because you need another set of hands can create much bigger problems if that person isn't a good fit.
Today, we're much more intentional about protecting our culture and making sure the people we hire are the right fit for the rest of our team. I've learned that the standard has to remain the standard, even when you're busy.
That's the distinction I think business owners have to make. Are you waiting because you're gathering information and making a thoughtful decision, or are you waiting because you're uncomfortable taking the first step?
Those are two very different things.
Small Delays Have a Way of Growing
The difficult thing about waiting is that you don't always feel the cost today.
You might feel it three months from now. You might feel it six months from now. Sometimes it takes a year before you look back and realize how much easier things could have been if you had started earlier.
Maybe it was the networking event you skipped, the process you never documented, the customer you forgot to follow up with, the content you never created, or the position you waited too long to hire for. One small delay doesn't seem like much, but enough of them start to compound.
The same thing happens in the other direction.
Small actions compound too.
One new process can save your team time every week. One video can turn into a library of useful content. One customer follow-up can create a long-term relationship. One decision you've been avoiding can finally give you the momentum to move forward.
Give Yourself a Deadline
One thing that has helped me personally is putting deadlines on the projects that don't necessarily feel urgent.
I used to have a project list filled with things I wanted to accomplish, but the urgent day-to-day work would always win. Those projects would sit there because nothing was forcing me to finish them.
Now I try to create urgency by giving myself deadlines. I look at what needs to happen, what's important, what's urgent, and what I've been avoiding. Sometimes I'll deliberately put the thing I'm least excited about at the top of the list just so I can get it done.
Accountability helps too. If I tell someone I'm going to have something finished by a certain date, I'm much more likely to follow through.
You don't always need a huge plan to get unstuck. Sometimes you need a deadline, someone to hold you accountable, and one small action you can take today.
Making Waves Moving Forward
When we started talking about this episode, I thought we were going to talk about preparing for the fourth quarter. By the end of the conversation, I realized the bigger question was much simpler: Are you done waiting?
Business isn't built on perfect timing. It's built on consistent action.
That doesn't mean making reckless decisions or jumping into every opportunity that comes along. It means recognizing when thoughtful planning has turned into procrastination. It means understanding that your competitors aren't standing still while you wait for everything to feel perfect.
You don't need to make the whole wave today. You just need to make the first splash.
Watch the Full Episode & Join the Conversation
If there's something in your business you've been saying you'll get to "eventually," I invite you to watch the full episode of The Fish Slap Effect Podcast. James and I talk about the real cost of waiting, some of the things we wish we'd done sooner at Get Fish Slapped, and practical ways to stop letting important projects get buried beneath everything that feels urgent.
You'll hear the complete conversation, including our WAIT acronym, lessons we've learned from our own business, and some practical ideas for creating deadlines, accountability, and momentum when you know it's time to move.
Follow The Fish Slap Effect Podcast on your favorite podcast platform or subscribe on YouTube. We release new conversations every week covering marketing, leadership, business growth, and the unexpected lessons that help businesses move forward.
If you enjoy the show, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow business owner, entrepreneur, marketer, or leader who has something they've been waiting to start.
Because every big wave starts with a single splash, and sometimes the most important thing you can do for your business is stop waiting and make it.