Building your perfect business may be challenging and at the onset, chaotic. You are in control of so many things and at the same time, your thoughts about where you are headed. It is a lot easier when you keep in mind several necessary things that will help you stay focused and on track.
Get busy and relax. While the two may not sound like they belong together, what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. Concentrating fully on one task in particular, completing it and getting it out of your way keeps business worries at bay. At the same time, if you tend to be the type that gets anxious and/or nervous, if demands have you stressed to the point where you can’t concentrate, relaxation is probably the best choice. Give yourself a holiday, even if only for one day.
Don’t pay attention to the opinions of others. Always think about where the opinion came from. Most business owners know when they are doing their best. Listen to others who have experience in your field but don’t feel you have to take into consideration the comments of those who probably have no idea what is in your best interest. Seek knowledge from those who have it and learn to navigate around any pitfalls that could arise from the negative messages of others.
Be original. Though imitation is a form of flattery, when it’s your business that’s involved, being different and being the best at what you’re doing is more important. Take some time to discover which options are available to you that can make your product or service stand out from the rest. The most famous businesses didn’t become that way by being carbon copies of all of the others that were out there. Being afraid to take big steps in your business is normal. If there’s something you’re not sure of or don’t have knowledge of, consider outsourcing certain tasks to a virtual team with experience.
Scrap the small stuff. Business owners tend to worry away at the smallest things that in the long run will have absolutely no effect on their business. If you are one of these, take a note of what is it that is bothering you and put it away until later. You aren’t looking for perfection, you are looking at the big picture and what will work best for both you and your customers. In the same vein, if it has already happened, then it’s over. Once again, take a note and if you have made a mistake, ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Sometimes you just have to be able to let things go.
Don’t limit yourself. Most of the time when we think we can’t do something, it isn’t that we can’t do it, it’s more likely that we just can’t believe we could ever climb that high. Putting boundaries on your business will slow your growth and keep you from expanding. Listen to that inner voice that tells you what you really can accomplish.
An important part of managing any business means keeping in mind that knowledge means power. A business owner who is not learning about new technology or business practices becomes stagnant. But more importantly, it means learning about yourself and the way you think. Learning to trust yourself is the most important step you need to take, ahead of all of the others.
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc 2013
Image courtesy of tkoh.org
