We have a new team member at SBTV.com. His name is Maxwell Solovic and he is the Chairman of the Bone. Yes, I got the title right. Maxwell is a five pound Shih Tzu puppy who comes to the office with me when I'm not traveling.
Because he's only about three months old, everything is a new adventure for him – sights, sounds, smells and people. He has more toys and treats than you can imagine, (he's an only child—I mean puppy) but one of his favorite things to do is chase his tail. He'll run in a circle at manic speeds until he ultimately collapses having never achieved his goal, if he even knows what his goal is. That doesn't stop him, however, from trying again later.
It's perfectly acceptable for a young puppy such as Maxwell to chase his tail. After all, he's a dog and it's cute. When you are trying to build a successful business, it’s not so cute to spend your energy chasing your tail. You’ll find yourself frustrated and burned out without ever achieving your business goals.
So if your business isn’t growing as you’d hoped, ask yourself: Are you simply chasing your tail? Think about it. How many days do you work at manic speeds until you're exhausted, but if you're honest with yourself, you didn’t really accomplish a thing? I see it all the time. People “make busy.” They create lots of commotion and they talk a good game, but their business is going nowhere.
Here are a few surefire tips to help you grow your business so you don't wind up chasing your tail.
Keep your eye on the ball When you start a business money is always tight. Opportunities will present themselves that are attractive because you see them as a quick way to bring in cash. Before you eagerly accept, stop yourself and think about whether or not it fits with your business goals. One of the biggest reasons many small businesses fail is because they take on projects or products that are completely unrelated to their business strategy and before you know it, not only have they lost the original business concept, but they're not doing anything well.
Set Milestones Create a growth strategy and set milestones and/or deadlines for yourself. Without established measurements, days, weeks and months can pass by while you talk, talk, talk about what you're going to do, but you never get around to doing it. You may not meet every one of your goals in your estimated timeframe, but at least you'll be continually focused forward.
Take Action Every Day Never let a day go by in your business where you haven't done at least one activity to help you reach your business goals. Business success requires discipline -- the discipline to practice those things that are instrumental for your success. Occasionally making a sales call or attending a networking event won't help you generate new business opportunities. You know better than anyone what actions are necessary to grow your business. Practice them every day.
Starting and growing a small business isn't easy. Make sure you work smart so you don't wind up chasing your tail.
JWB Interest, LLC 2011 All Rights Reserved
By: Susan Wilson Solovic
March 23, 2011
Here are a few surefire tips to help you grow your business so you don't wind up chasing your tail.
Keep your eye on the ball When you start a business money is always tight. Opportunities will present themselves that are attractive because you see them as a quick way to bring in cash. Before you eagerly accept, stop yourself and think about whether or not it fits with your business goals. One of the biggest reasons many small businesses fail is because they take on projects or products that are completely unrelated to their business strategy and before you know it, not only have they lost the original business concept, but they're not doing anything well.
Set Milestones Create a growth strategy and set milestones and/or deadlines for yourself. Without established measurements, days, weeks and months can pass by while you talk, talk, talk about what you're going to do, but you never get around to doing it. You may not meet every one of your goals in your estimated timeframe, but at least you'll be continually focused forward.
Take Action Every Day Never let a day go by in your business where you haven't done at least one activity to help you reach your business goals. Business success requires discipline -- the discipline to practice those things that are instrumental for your success. Occasionally making a sales call or attending a networking event won't help you generate new business opportunities. You know better than anyone what actions are necessary to grow your business. Practice them every day.
Starting and growing a small business isn't easy. Make sure you work smart so you don't wind up chasing your tail.
Management Advisor Marketing Advisor Business Communications Custom Website Design
JWB Interest, LLC 2011 All Rights Reserved
By: Susan Wilson Solovic
March 23, 2011
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