Business growth is similar to your personal physical growth. Both are about what you eat and how much. Business failure is not one grand event. It is about what you have been feeding yourself and/or your business over and extended period of time.
One of the many joys of coaching business owners and professionals is discovering the many pathways to success. As there are many ways to create a successful meal, the same can be said for building a successul business.
Have you ever eaten too much? Most of us have at one time or another. And, after the experience of eating too much, how do you feel? You are feeling bad physically, emotionally and not motivated to do much of anything.
I know this has happened to me. And, at one time or another I imagine that overeating and its consequences have happened to you. There is an interesting connection between overeating and the eventual success or failure of your business.
When you are running your own business it is very much like having your own restaurant. You get to create the menu of activities for your business and you decide how much you are going to partake.
Misplaced appetites and hunger can KILL a small business.
The key to keeping your momentum and forward movement in business is to understand where you may have a misplaced appetite or hunger.
For example, you may be outstanding at sales. You spend most of your time in sales. Yet the delivery of your product or service leaves much to be desired. In this example, the misplaced appetite or hunger for sales crowded out the need for better organization in delivering the product or service.
In my business coaching and support of business owners and sales and solo professionals I have seen misplaced appetite weaken their businesses. Usually, the misplaced appetite is similar to the above example. The owner or professional may be outstanding at sales and poor at paperwork or follow through.
Or, the owner may be weak at sales and strong on the organization. Regardless of which side you fall on you must account for and hold yourself accountable for what you don’t like to do.
It’s not what we are good at that can cause our businesses to fail. It is what we are not good at and more importantly, our failure to address it. In building several companies I can tell you that I am very good at some things and not so good at others.
Yes, in the beginning I have had to do it all. But, as soon as I could position myself to where I was working in my strengths, I did. It was then that my businesses would grow more rapidly.
What’s the message?
Understand your appetites for what you like to do and what you would rather not do.
Create a balance in your appetites in running your own business. When you do, your business will succeed and you will never go hungry.
