10 Rules for Surviving, Thriving As A Small Business Owner Part 2
Part 2 of John Ingrisano’s article from Freestyle Entreprenuer which gives 10 Rules for Surviving, Thriving As A Small Business Owner. Enjoy!
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6. Get good, objective advice. Your best source is your banker who — especially if you owe the bank money — has a vested interest in your financial solvency. The next best source is a good accountant (not just a bookkeeper, but an accountant) who can show you how to use your money to make more money and save taxes. Finally, talk to other successful business men and women. Do not talk to helpful friends and do-gooders who have never risked a nickel of their own money in a business venture. What they know can’t help you.
7. Establish a “brain trust.” This builds on the above point. Find half a dozen aggressive, focused small business owners like yourself. Meet once a week for breakfast or lunch to discuss business issues. Form an agenda to discuss goals, concerns and “best practices,” and how to solve problems. Two hard and fast rules: (A) Discuss only business matters; do social hour some other time. (B) No griping or complaining; keep this a positive, problem-solving and idea-sharing session.
8. Maintain balance in your life, including time away from the shop. Business is important, but so is family and friends and community involvement. One of my favorite practices when I feel overwhelmed by the trials and tribulations of business is to just walk away from it for an hour or two. It has been my experience that even a small break helps bring even complicated problems into perspective.
9. Never forget that success hinges on SOP — standard operating procedures. Master what works and then turn it into a process that can be repeated over and over again. That’s the primary reason McDonalds and other franchises have been successful. It can work for you, too.
10. Keep growing. Keep learning. Otherwise, you will become bored and grow stale, which is also the downside of SOP. The risk of creating standard operating procedures is that they eventually can become mind numbing. Find new challenges.
The list could go on. There are many important rules of good business practices. One thing I have learned is that it never hurts to stick to the basics. Don’t get too fancy, don’t get too complacent, and don’t get too cocky.
Work hard. Make money. Have fun. –
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POSTED IN: Mindset, Sharpening The Saw
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