Did you ever think that running your own business would be as hard and time consuming as it has ultimately become? I don’t think it matters if it’s just you or if you’re running a local business with multiple employees, the personal commitment is truly overwhelming and completely exhilarating at the same time. I never stop thinking and believing that I’m going to make this work. Yes, it’s hard; but if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
That’s right. You’re like me: big plans, big dreams and not enough resources to get you there. All I can say is don’t give up. With that, here’s a few things I’m currently working on so that my local business doesn’t become a statistic:
- Never stop. Your mental framework is the basis of your daily productivity. Here are some questions I’m constantly asking myself to keep on track:
How did others do it?
Who’s in my network that can help me?
What do we NOT do?
- Grow daily. How can you spend less and get more. Can you be more efficient with your time? What is someone else doing that you can emulate to be more productive? Is there technology or software that will get you further down the road? If you’re always looking to be better, then you’re always looking to the future and never settling for where you are.
- Sell it. Can you explain your business in 30 seconds? If not, you need to re-evaluate to ensure you don’t become a statistic. I had to reconsider my businesses’ original name as it was confusing and stopped the conversation. So take it from me, make your product or service easy to explain.
- Empower your team. If you’re like me, you hate being micro-managed. I always told myself that when I was “the boss,” I would empower, not suffocate. With that, I’ve found that my team is more motivated and produces better work when I get out of their way. Try and avoid getting bogged down in stupid things like pep talks or unnecessary meetings and streamline the process as much as you can.
Well, there you have it, a little business philosophy on how not to become a local business statistic. I’m not saying by doing these four things you will succeed, but I do feel you will be heading in the right direction. Please let me know your thoughts. What are you doing to not become a statistic? Let’s share our successes and failures so we can all learn from one another.