10 Inside Tips For Being Successful In Business

From the book "The Accidental Entrepreneur"

by Susan Urquhart-Brown

June 27, 2008

 
1. Untie the “ NOT!"
Do you have an inner critic who comments on what you have done (or haven't done) in the past and what you probably will do (or won't do) in the future?  The good news is you can reprogram that inner critic to give yourself positive and supportive messages instead of negative and defeating ones.  For example, just untie the NOT.  If your inner critic whispers to you, “ You can’t sell” take out the word NOT and say instead “You can sell.” It takes practice, but when you get in the habit of untying the NOT, you will be surprised how much easier it is to reach your goals.

2. Abolish time wasters.
Are there times you feel that there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done? I hear this from my clients quite often. Try this exercise to determine how you’re spending your time. For one week keep a daily record of what you do from 8am to 7pm.  Jot them down in increments of 30 minutes. Don’t forget to include time spent getting ready for a meeting, driving, follow up calls, email, walking to the coffee shop, eating, etc. At the end of the week, look for patterns. Are there obvious periods of procrastination or just time wasted? One client discovered that she was wasting 2 hours a day doing small, unimportant tasks.

3. Put MAGIC in your goal setting process.
Do you want to achieve your goals effortlessly? Here's how:
•    M   Make it measurable so that it is crystal clear when you've reached your goal
•    A   Act on your to do list daily
•    G   A "GOAL is a dream with a deadline"
•    I     Inspire others to assist you in achieving your goals
•    C   Confidence in yourself and your abilities

A powerful goal is one that resonates not with what you think you should be doing but with what is important for the next stage of your business growth. Then create very specific to do lists that move you toward realizing your goal.

4. Take a vacation.
Taking a vacation whether for a long weekend or a week will revitalize you, allow time for creative thinking, or simply provide much needed rest and relaxation.  But you don’t necessarily need to close up shop. This is a wonderful opportunity to delegate responsibility and let your trusted right hand person run the show.

5. Marketing = Sales
Everything you do is marketing from answering the phone, sending an email to placing an ad.  You must clearly define your target market and message, and staying consistent is key. Have a diverse marketing strategy: run print and online ads, do online promotion, consider a direct mail campaign, and arrange publicity.  You must reach as much of your target market as possible in as many ways as you can—because not everyone will see you in each media outlet.

6. Avoid the “Lone Wolf” syndrome .
Ask for help. Ask for feedback. Ask for information. I’ve asked many successful entrepreneurs what is the best piece of advice they would give someone starting out in business. They all said ask for help when you need it. No one becomes a success entirely on their own.  So why are entrepreneurs reluctant to ask for help? Here are some common reasons:
•    I’ll look like I don’t know what I’m doing.
•    Oh, I couldn’t ask for that!
•    People should know what I want.
•    They might say “No.”
•    If I ask for feedback on a new idea, someone might steal it.
•    I’m afraid.

What’s your reason? Try it this week. ASK! and see what results you get.

7. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude .
When things aren’t working the way you want, shift your focus to what is working.  This may sound “woo woo,” but I have found that when I encourage clients to approach all business dealings with the attitude of gratefulness, and shift their focus to what is working well, they are able to see some new possibilities previously overlooked. While you’re at it, thank your clients and customers for choosing to do business with you.

8. Hire wisely.
Hiring and training a new employee takes time and money.  It is important to evaluate a candidate’s personal traits as well as their professional qualifications. In the interview ask candidates to describe what they have done in previous jobs to solve problems such as handling a difficult customer, and ask if they are comfortable making independent decisions. Their answers are a good predictor of what kind of employee they will be for you.

9. Patience
Like a cat stalking a mouse, wait until the time is right and then pounce—on opportunities that is, not customers. You will want to increase your business growth curve and you’ll probably be impatient with slow results, however, work on the things you can control, then wait. If advertising is part of your marketing mix, run your ad for at least 3 months. Don’t pull the ads too soon because you never know when prospective customers will sign up for your service or buy your product.  Most importantly, be patient with yourself—you can’t do it all or all at once.

10. Strategic networking
Networking is a valuable skill for entrepreneurs especially when looking for new business. A key building block for business meetings is a well-prepared 2-minute introduction or presentation that succinctly gets across what you have to offer. Customize your introduction to fit your prospect. Follow-up. It’s amazing how many business people don’t return phone calls or e-mails, or follow up with what they promised.