Vision:

 

Working with businesses I often get asked “Dom, why do some people make running a business look easy, while some of us just seem to go in circles ?”  

Well, I have good news and bad news. Firstly, every single business is different.  For example, you’ve noticed two gas stations in the same intersection. They’re in the same location, and have the same customers. Yet, quite often you can tell that one is suffering- even though they are in the same market. That’s because each business has different strengths and weaknesses. There is no one simple answer. 

However, here are the 6 things I find successful business owners consistently doing. 

Managing yourself . Now this should be the easiest thing to do. The most successful business owners consistently use a daytimer, or an electronic organizer. This is how you manage yourself to preplan  your day, your week, and your year. 

Next is Managing your teams. You need to meet with your team, once a week, every week. In its most basic form you only need to talk to them about 2 things. How the business has done since the last meeting , and what you’d like it to do by the next one. 

Now when it comes to managing individuals, I’m referring to private, 1to 1 meetings to review not only the persons challenges and wins , but also some guidance on the strategies they should use for upcoming projects.. 

4^th is merely to Stop and Think. Every business owner should take at LEAST 1 hour per week just to stop and think about the future. I know some entrepreneurs that invest an hour a day! And they do it every morning. Now they make it look easy!  

The 5^th  key is to Know your Numbers. Business is just like a game - You know who’s winning by keeping score. How many goals did you score? What were your shots on goal?  You can’t improve if you don’t know the score of the game, and you won’t even know if you’re winning! Knowing your numbers will help you make better decisions. 

And the last point is Owner Education. This is how you make it look easy. The most important thing you can do as a business owner is to work on yourself.. Get out of the office, go grab a coffee and just sit with some blank paper and plan where you want your business to go. Read a book or business magazine. Go to a seminar or take a course. You’d be surprised how easily the answers come.  

Well, the best point on education and business general is this quote by a famous business philosopher named E. James Rohn. His advice is this, and it holds true for all of us whether you’re an entrepreneur, an executive, an employee, or a student. 

And it’s this…  

 “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.”