The do’s and don’ts of entrepreneurial survival specifically relates to you, the entrepreneur, as YOU are the engine of your business. Anything you do for yourself is directly related to the direction of your business. Here are some things you can practice in your everyday life for a better version of you which will help to create a business with positive impact. In this other article, Entrepreneurs Who Survive, you can learn more about entrepreneurial survival.
Do Be Optimistic
There is power in the tongue – speak success, speak productivity, speak possibilities. They are endless.
Do Encourage
A balanced lifestyle; eat well, laugh, dance and whatever else you desire to do. Have fun in your own style…and work hard too.
Do Establish
a routine that allows for maximum productivity. Everyone has a time in which they are most productive. Perform a self performing audit and establish a schedule that works best for you. The routine should be holistic – including work, self and any other tasks.
Do Keep Focus
on your goals. There are so many distractions that may cause you to lose focus and they are not necessarily the ‘big’ problems. A bad day, failed attempts at a new task, lack of sufficient finance or even lack of support can cause you to feel off track. Note that these situations are inevitable; tap into your source of motivation, develop a push back strategy and remain focused.
Don’t Quit
It is understandable that at some point you will become discouraged as a result of not being successful at a task or venture. Think about it: failure breeds knowledge and strength, depending on how you view it. Every time you fail, you get better because you become aware of what not to do. That’s a good thing and it leads back to the aforementioned point of being optimistic. Understand that failure is part of the process of being great, not a barrier.
Don’t Focus On The Money
Many may disagree but the stance is clear. Can you imagine your business without customers? Can you imagine a successful transaction without a third party? If your answer is yes, you probably live in a different world. The customers drive revenue and profit; they come first so therefore they should be the first focus. The more you cater for the customers, ensuring quality in products and service delivery, the more your profits will increase.
Don’t Work Without A Plan
Finance, marketing, sales, customer acquisition; it does not matter – a plan is crucial. Small business owners tend to just go with the flow because they are the owners and feel that they can just ‘play it by air’. There is no structure to execution. Get serious about business and implement a structure which incorporates accountability – it starts from top down. A plan allows for scoping, establishing requirements and resources, tracking and evaluating.
Don’t Be A Follower
While it is good to ensure that you keep up to date with market trends and track your competition, don’t blindly copy the observed strategies. The aim of keeping up to date is to be different. You have to stand out to attract attention. Assess your business strategies and decide whether it gets you lost among the crowd or it causes you to outshine the crowd.
