Much of my work as a business coach takes place in and around Israel’s wonderful capital city, Jerusalem. Its beauty makes it easy to people to become side tracked by all kinds of issues.

And as a coach or mentor, I am often asked to help clients overcome the problem of time management. They are simply distracted and do not achieve even the most simple of tasks. They procrastinate.

This week, I have met separately with some very competent owners of small businesses, who are genuinely busy, nearly 24 / 7, all year round. When you start talking to them, you realize how dedicated they are. No internet surfing here just to catch up with the latest sports’ results.

And yet these same people purport to have time management problems. Why? Because they (and colleagues) do not fit into their day most of their mandatory tasks! This happens on a regular basis.

In other words, they work their guts out. What they do with each client or contract usually shows the hallmarks of high levels of competence. Yet, they do not feel that they are accomplishing anything. Seemingly, there is not enough time. But is this a time management issue?

Look again. What is really holding them back is a core fault in their business model. In other words, an imbalance exists between the total number of clients and how the CEOs are charging out for such services. Too few customers are not paying enough dosh. And so my CEOs find themselves chasing little sums into the dark hours of the night. This is the core issue that needs to be addressed, before all else.

And here comes a second common denominator. I found that my clients do not like to become involved in financial stats. I wonder why!