This was a previous posting from August but thought I would repost it.
I meet many different business owners and entrepreneurs from all different walks of life who are all at different stages in their company’s growth and size (from start-up phase to million dollar plus level). I have noticed that no matter what size of company you run at some point owners get stuck, frozen “on the cliff”. I define the “cliff” as something that all entrepreneurs need to conquer in order to be successful (no matter how you define success) the cliff is your fears, your doubts, that voice that tells you that it can’t be done, it is whatever stops you from continuing to move forward in a positive way in your business.
You may be wondering if you are standing on the cliff right now. Let me ask you a few questions so you can try and determine where you are at:
a) Do you have to make sure that “everything” is completely ready to go before you go and sell your product or service? (i.e. My brochure isn’t done, my business cards aren’t ready, My website isn’t up or isn’t good enough yet, I don’t have a handle on the price etc.)
b) Do you spend most of your day checking email and doing other tasks other than promoting/marketing/selling your product or service?
c) Do you fill your 9am – 5pm (prime time to build business) with non-business related tasks?
d) Do you spend weeks on-end creating an ‘action plan’ that never seems to be finished or implemented?
e) Do you create excuses as to why you can’t do it right now? (it’s the summer which is a bad time to build business, the market is flat right now, no one is buying, I am a bad sales person)
I have been accused of being a Shoot, Ready, Aim type of business builder but one of my mentors told me two things that constantly pushes me forward:
”Winners do won’t losers won’t”
The quote about action is one that rings true for me. There have been times that I haven’t felt ready but I have pushed forward anyways and I got way better results than other colleagues that insisted they have all the ducks in a row, facing the same way, the outdoor temperature was just right, and the sky was completely blue. This isn’t to say that I haven’t had failures, I know I have way more failures then most of my colleagues but I know that I have had alot more success simply because I Didn’t wait for the safety net to appear. I Jump off the cliff KNOWING the safety net WILL appear.
Cheers,
Liam
