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Final in a
five-part series
W
e are at the end of a
five-part series about
running a successful business.
Over the past four issues, I
have given you four practical
recommendations to help you
build your business: adopt an
entrepreneurial mindset, build
a strong brand, market smart
and cultivate more sales. These
will help you because they force
you to look at your business
as a
business
and see your business as
a part of a bigger picture. You’re
not a promotional products
distributor—you are a business
owner who runs a promotional
products business. If you’re a
supplier, you’re a business owner
who happens to offer items
that support the promotional
products industry. Think about
these descriptions. Do you agree?
How do these make you feel?
The difference between a
$50,000-per-year distributor
and a $2 million-per-year
distributor is understanding how
promotional items are perceived
and used by the clients they
serve. It’s all about perspective.
The difference between small
suppliers and big suppliers is
perspective, too. Okay, maybe
some more cash flow, but for the
most part it is what successful
business owners think about,
and how they run their business
that makes them different.
Now, if you’re a hobbyist
working in this industry, you’re
probably not reading this article
with the expectation to make
a change. But if running an
industry company is your full-
time gig, your career and a job
you love, I hope you’ll read on to
learn how to become a happier
promotional products distributor
or supplier.
In the first article (November
2016), I talked about mindset and
the importance of clearing your
thoughts and getting your mind
focused on success every day.
Your mindset is like food—your
body needs nourishment every
day and so does your mind. The
hard reality is that your brain
will grow whatever is planted
Should You Be
Working
On
Your
Business Or
In
Your Business?
by
Abigail Tiefenthaler
A Business
Owner’s Paradox
in
on
84
|
MARCH 2017
|
THINK