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not suggesting you be impulsive,
but let’s agree that there is a fine
line between the two. Find the
line that works for you.
I would also have learned
to fire rude and unreasonable
clients earlier in our working
relationship. No entrepreneur
can please everyone every time—
it’s a losing proposition. I did
everything I could to get business
except sell my soul. You need to
know what your non-negotiables
are so you can feel good when
you say ‘no’ to a situation that
will make you feel inadequate,
undervalued or used.
And, I would have taken a
more risks. Whenever I said ‘yes’
to a project that I didn’t know
how I was going to execute, I
ended up learning something
new or connecting with someone
new. And 99 percent of the time
it was a rewarding experience:
A new supplier. A new way to
manage cash flow. A new product
that I could market to more of my
clients. Entrepreneurs simply do
not have the luxury of playing it
safe all the time. Find your own
risk level and explore options.
I worked hard to build an
independent promotional
products business that billed $1
million in its second year and
almost $2 million in year four.
And, I’m proud of that success. I
had to address challenges every
day; some in my business, and
some in my family. I had to face
some fear or another and do it
anyway. There was no choice.
Failure was not an option. And,
once I realized that I was on a
journey, the struggles became a
lot easier to work through.
So, how did I do it? And,
how have other successful
entrepreneurs done it? There
are some definite differences
between being an entrepreneur
and being an employee. And,
some of these differences start
with decisions you make every
day before you even get out
of bed. The first decision you
choose every day is to work
your business to the best of your
ability. Or not. Another decision
is to be the entrepreneur you
set out to be. Or not. And yet
another, to be the business
owner that is in control and leads
your business to the results you
want to achieve. Or not.
How do you do that? How do
you flip that mental switch? Below
I offer six simple suggestions
to help you prepare your mind
for business, and prepare your
business for success.
1
First thing in the morning
remind yourself that you
are a business owner. It’s
a simple thought, to be sure,
but incredibly effective. Being
a business owner gets you into
a decision-making mode that
allows you to evaluate actions
more rationally. You want to feel
confident that you are capable
of doing whatever you need to
do to run your business with
excellence, including finding
the right resources to make
something happen that you
know you cannot do yourself.
Remind yourself that there is
always at least one solution to
every problem. You want to take
control of your business mind
and be committed to doing what
you have to do to get the results
you want to get. Be patient,
persistent, tenacious and open
to compromise. Think creatively.
Think solutions.
2
As soon as you get to your
workspace, get your day
in order. Create a list, or
whatever you use to manage
tasks, and identify the things that
must, should and can be done.
Make the list as simple or detailed
as works for you. Color-code
activities if that helps. Think about
the activities you have to do to
operate your business, but also
think about things that help you
grow your business. If you never
plan to work
on
your business you
will be doomed to work
in
your
business, and it will feel like a job.
3
Estimate how long each
task should take. You’ll
find that you may have a
lot of things on your list, which
can overwhelm a business
owner. When you write down
an estimated time for each task
you’ll see that some activities
may only take a few minutes to
complete. And, make sure you
schedule time for last-minute
issues. Most business owners
If you never plan
to work
on
your
business, you
will be doomed
to work
in
your
business …
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NOVEMBER 2016
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THINK