the only way to learn is to find a problem and try to solve it. When you fail, you have the opportunity to learn. Every mistake you make shows that you stepped up to a problem and ran into a situation you weren’t expecting. It is only then that you have the opportunity to learn from that experience.
If you’re going to grow, you must expect to recreate and redesign your business over and over to adapt to various market conditions. Today’s problems may be different than yesterday’s, and nothing like tomorrow’s. Throughout the journey of owning a business you will find that some decisions you make yield poor results while others are more profitable than you ever expected. Just be prepared to make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and use those experiences to become even more successful.
Lifesaver: If you don’t already have one, purchase a day planner. Day planners allow you to organize your ideas and track your progress. There are planners that fit almost any style or need. Make sure to choose one that fits your lifestyle to ensure that you will use it daily.
5. Commit to Success
Although it may be difficult during a business downturn, commitment to your goals is more critical than ever. Customers and clients like to work with companies that are successful. Employees like to work for companies that are successful. If your business is in trouble, and if you want it to survive, you need to commit to making the business succeed. It is when a business begins to struggle that focus, dedication, and hard work are needed the most. Spreading yourself among many different solutions will ensure that, at best, you accomplish some of them poorly.
When we were facing issues with our own business, we often discussed “outside” solutions. Should we sell the business? Should we close the doors and walk away? Would we be better off hiring a manager to run it and just go back to a “real job”? At one point, we realized that as long as we considered outside solutions like these, we weren’t committing fully to our business. One day, we decided that we were not going to entertain the option of failing any longer. All conversations we were going to have about the business would be about how to improve and grow the business. To be fair, we also gave it a time limit. If our efforts did not show positive improvement in three months, we would then consider other options, but only then and only after we had fully dedicated ourselves to improving our store. The results were amazing. By committing time and resources to the store, we found that we were able to accomplish a great deal more.
If you hesitate, your lack of dedication will begin to permeate your organization. Employees may feel that if you aren’t committed they should not be committed. Oftentimes, if employees hear than an owner is considering leaving the business or closing, they begin to look for other employment in an attempt to obtain job security. One salon owner we know ran into this very situation. When her business started to fail she confided in her manager that she was considering selling the business. Within a few short months her manager found another full-time position. Although the salon owner hadn’t finalized a sale, she lost her best employee and was still going under. Similarly, customers who question how long a business will remain open may be more likely to go to a competitor. When the owner is uncommitted, it is noticed by those around him or her and this domino effect can have a profoundly negative impact on the entire organization.
However, if you show that you are committed to your business, services, customers, and employees, it will be felt throughout your organization. When employees know you are dedicated to working through tough times they will be willing to stay onboard, and may accept the challenges of working through the tough times more willingly than you may imagine.
The excitement of taking on a new challenge, overcoming obstacles, and succeeding in the face of failure is enticing. Many employees are most excited when their company is taking on challenges and winning. The idea of succeeding, even when a new megastore moves in next door, or of watching your competitors fold as times get leaner is appealing. Even though your employees do not own the company or necessarily profit by its success, everyone enjoys being part of a winning team. By committing to your own success, you can bring that excitement to your company and your employees.
Lifesaver: Being a business owner is a round the clock job. Unfortunately, the time you put in working at home and running errands is time that your employees can’t see. Let your employees know how much time you spend both at the job and at home working for the business. Letting them know how many hours you put in each week is a tangible way to show them your commitment to the business.
6. Control Your Business
A small company needs to be controlled by its owners. Opinions will abound; however, the company vision and direction need to be set by the owners who are responsible for it. If this is left to employees in the organization, the result can often be a mishmash of conflicting directions and objectives.
This does not mean that every task must be completed by you and it doesn’t mean that you have to be the best at every task. Taking control is not about doing all the work, but about realizing that if the work isn’t done right, in the end, the responsibility falls on your shoulders. As the business owner, you must determine what tasks are most important and make sure they are done correctly and completely. If things aren’t done right, you are the only one to blame.
7. Communicate Your Goals Clearly
What is your vision of your company? What does success look like? What are you doing well? What are you not doing well? Before you can expect your team to help you meet your goals, you need to know what you want and be prepared to describe how to get there. This book is filled with ideas and solutions that business owners have used to grow their businesses, increase their revenue, and build their customer base. You will have to choose which ideas you want to implement, and when. Then, you will have to communicate these goals to your employees and make sure they are executed effectively.
It is not enough to tell employees, “This store is always messy.” You must be a proactive communicator who can provide instructions as well as constructive criticism. Providing detailed goals and objectives even in small tasks will help your employees know what you want and understand how to get there. Your team needs to understand what your goals are, how to achieve them, and why they are important.
To do this, first explain your goal, and be positive. It has been found that using negatives to instruct individuals causes people to miss the message. For instance, if you say, “This place is trashed — what a disaster!,” people tend to fixate on the fact that the store is messy, which is a negative concept. Wording the phrase in a positive way tends to have more impact, for instance, “This store needs to be clean and well ordered. Customers will enjoy it more.” In this case, you are focusing yourself and your team on the results you want to achieve and direction you want to go. Affirming positive goals and ideals is more effective then dwelling on problems and shortcomings.
Next, provide clear examples of how you expect the goal to be achieved. For instance you can say, “Please make sure the floor is vacuumed every night before closing.” This very specific instruction lets your team know exactly what you expect from them, and when you expect it to be completed. Although this sounds simplistic it ensures that you are clearly stating how you expect the team to achieve these goals. You cannot assume that everyone has a vision of how to achieve the goals just because it is obvious to you. The more up-front you are the less likely there is to be confusion.
Lastly, explain why you want these tasks completed and why it is important; for example, “Having a clean store is more comfortable for
