Dick Olenych / July 19th, 2018
Have you ever gone out on a limb? You know, scooching a bit too far, feeling the limb start to sag, but reaching…stretching your fingers until your joints hurt?
That honey is all you want. It’s all you dream about. Right? That honey is your Holy Grail.
But, no matter how far you reach, that hive of honey is just too far, too elusive, too hard to grasp.
Stretching for the unattainable is what being a small business owner is all about.
All small business owners dream of that honey, of hitting it big. We think that when we open our doors, life will be a vacation, but that’s not how it works. Small business owners get “stung” by a million problems every day. It can be relentless.
How can anyone manage through that?
If you want to learn to push through to reach the impossible, there are three really easy steps. Although these steps will help you, remember, it’s always about the execution.
Execution is the key to success. Don’t tell me how you are going to be successful, SHOW ME.
Everyone wants to sell their company for millions, but in reality, few ever do. Most business owners just get up every day and try to make their businesses better. They hope their lives and the lives of those around them will be better too.
Learn to embrace the nickname FILO (First In, Last Out).
Do you think being the boss means you get to work less? If that is what you think, don’t bother starting a company, get a desk job. Owning a business is a lot of work.
You’ll have to work harder, smarter, and longer than you ever imagined. The demands are incredible, so be ready for it and willing to embrace it.
This is where many business owners struggle.
Many would rather be marketing and selling, but as the CEO of a business, you have to do the financial reviews. Don’t rely on the spreadsheets and QuickBooks reports, audit the actuals. Remember, the devil is in the details.
Do you want to be a success? Then, control your cost and increase your potential.
Focus on growth and profit margins.
Understand your market space, your market potential, and layout your course of action. Put time into planning. Thinking. Reacting to market conditions is not a strategy, so learn to be proactive, not reactive.
Strategize, execute, review, repeat.
The “review” is the step that most small business owners fail to do. They can’t see when a bad idea is draining their company.
Never get stung because you are lazy, unprepared, or frozen.
There’s a lot of honey out there for small business owners. It’s your job as the CEO to stretch a little further to get it.