Most small business owners enjoy the freedom of choosing their own hours, working from their own offices and making their own rules.

Are they good bosses to themselves? In most cases, no. The average small business owner has never learned to delegate the tasks that they don’t enjoy or don’t excel at. They aren’t aware that there are virtual assistants available to help them with these.

They tend to push and over extend themselves, often to the peril of their own health, not realizing that some part of their business are high priority while others can be left to another day. The original intent of business owners is to have time for themselves, their families and their interests but they quickly find themselves so immersed in the business that they have little time for anything.

Even business owners need to stick to a schedule. That means not working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. If you’re focused on your work, eventually you should be able to manage a business successfully working what others would consider part-time hours. You also need to be able to put thoughts of your business aside when not working and so many business owners have a difficult time with this. They also dread relinquishing any control at all to an associate or assistant.

Not all business owners are lucky enough to just work for themselves. Many work outside the home while they’re building their business and many have children they’re also responsible for and children don’t stick to a schedule. This is where you have to learn to juggle your many hats, ask for help and don’t push yourself to the point of exhaustion. A good boss knows when their employee has had enough. You want to enjoy your work, not feel that it’s just another chore that has to be completed. The most important thing you can do is make sure you give yourself vacations, even if it is only for several days.

Invest in yourself. The most successful businesses know that the road to long term, intelligent, loyal employees is to invest in them. Spend time education yourself on business practises that you aren’t familiar with. Learn something new, even it if doesn’t seem to pertain to your business. Expand your knowledge in any way that interests you.

Forgive yourself. We all make mistakes and remembering that will help you through the times when you’re berating yourself for something you did that you think is stupid. Appreciate the fact that you built this business all on your own and that each day will be part of a learning curve. Not everyone has put the effort into building a business and you should be proud of yourself.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015

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  How do you evaluate the success of your business? By your profit? By the number of sales? By your popularity?

While these were once the usual ways of measuring success, many business owners now find that this is not enough. Besides feeling comfortable with what they are doing, they also want their business to stand for something more than just selling a service or product.

Most business owners are very aware of how quickly things change and they would like to leave some type of footprint behind. Their business is one way of creating this footprint. Business owners would like others to see their business as caring and putting effort into making the world a better place. Whether this is through more sustainable products or through donations to a cause, be clear in what you stand for and show your customers and other business owners that you mean what you say.

Create solutions that are workable. Solve real problems through example. Show others the challenges you have faced and how you managed to overcome them. Make sure your vision aligns with the products you are selling. Back up each and every one with your personal guarantee. Try to make a contribution that will inspire others and at the same time, will improve their standard of living.

Sometimes higher quality products will mean higher prices for your customers but most are willing to pay a little extra in return for what they receive, which is a better product with your name behind it. Ask questions before agreeing to use certain ingredients or resources for your products. Don’t be afraid to be the first business that refuses to lower quality in order to offer your customers a good price.

If you feel your business needs a change, then change it. Sometimes instead of improving your products, what your customers really would like to see is how much you believe in the services and products you already offer. They like to see the person and the personality behind the business and that you stand for something.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015

Though the only constant may be change, are you making changes in your business just because you feel you should or are these changes actually causing a forward momentum?

Recent history has seen multiple, extreme changes and the rate of change has increased. While older generations saw lots of change, such as the invention of the automobile, the airplane, the telephone and electric appliances, the changes we are seeing today are almost always tech related and may or may not be an improvement. Most of them are industry changes geared only to increasing income for the companies who are pushing them as innovation.

Innovation, a word used often, especially within small businesses. Are you updating your product just to keep pace with others? Is there a possibility that your product is perfect the way it is and your customers love it that way? Many consumers now complain that they are unable to find products they have loved for years and that worked very well for them. This is due to companies continually releasing new versions of a popular product. The problem is that these new versions tend to be of lower quality but are touted as new and improved.

Since we have already invented pretty well everything we will ever need, businesses now have to find a new way to make money. This has led to a constant onslaught of new products that aren’t needed and in many cases, not wanted. Small business owners feel pressured by this to keep up, not realizing that they are almost being forced to change, rather than updating their products only when necessary and only when their customers perceive this as an improvement.

On the other hand, we do have business owners who are extremely frightened by any type of change. Depending on the business, this can either be good or bad. There are many products available even now that are considered classics and are sought by consumers who have purchased them for years, love the way they work and don’t want them to change at all. If your product or service is one of these, consider yourself very fortunate and pay special attention to those loyal customers.

It all comes down to the reality of the present and future consumer. While there will always be those who rush to try the next new thing, there is also a growing trend to stick with the tried and true. Creating a product or service that is or becomes one of these should be your primary objective. Changing your products just because that is the industry standard is not a reason.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015

image courtesy of baekdal