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22 Jan 2015

Don’t GAMBLE with Your Business

Starting a new year is always about new beginnings and starting fresh, but it’s been a few weeks now, so are you sticking to those resolutions? Because if you’re not planning ahead, building a business on strategy and just reacting to the changes your business faces, then you are gambling with your business. Don’t sit back and HOPE that things will change or tell yourself that THIS TOO SHALL PASS – create a plan for making improvements!

Instead of gambling with your business, try this G.A.M.B.L.E. to build a stronger company:

Growth: Your business can only grow when you, the business owner, grow. Are you focused on personal professional growth? To face reality about where you spend your time and money, check your bank account and your calendar. Did you make personal growth and development a priority in 2014? Did you work with a coach? Buy coaching books? Take a class? Great wealth and fulfillment await you, but you have to leave your comfort zone to grow. Challenge yourself to identify ways you’re going to grow for the next 90 days and for all of 2015.

Accountability: Are you spending your time making money? Or just excuses? You can’t spend precious time blaming the economy, the competitors, the customers or anyone else. Your business can only soar if you take 100 percent responsibility and ownership of your results. You cannot be the victim of your business because that means you’re giving away the power to change and improve. If you’re not holding yourself accountable, consider hiring a coach or building an accountability partnership with someone in your life like your CPA, banker, attorney, business partner, etc.

Marketing: It doesn’t matter what product or service you’re selling – every business owner is in the business of marketing. If marketing is not one of your top three priorities, then you won’t be in business for long. Go back to your calendar and your checkbook to find out if you’re truly making marketing a priority. Spend time in the next 90 days thinking about how to generate and close more qualified leads and how you can be more of a go-giver in your community. Decide to become more than a technical expert so you can be successful.

Beliefs: Take a strong look at all aspects of your business and your belief system and ask yourself, “what’s holding me back?” It’s your fears, uncertainties and doubts. Don’t let your limiting beliefs build a ceiling over your business. If you could do one thing to improve your business today, what would it be? What’s holding you back? Just because something is scary doesn’t mean it’s not the best option. You have to step outside your comfort zone to build a great business.

Leverage: Every business owner needs greater leverage, which means finding ways to get the greatest results/return with the least amount of time, effort, money and risk. Learn to leverage your employees, marketing, best practices, technology, business systems, referral sources, strategic alliances, etc. As a business owner, you need to be the CEO of your business, not the person working the front desk. By leveraging your resources, you can create time for you to focus on growing and running the business.

Enjoyment: If you’re not enjoying the journey of being a business owner, you’re letting the business steal your life. Did you get into this to work 80 hours a week? Or did you become a business owner to build a better life? Step back and learn to balance work with life – for the sake of yourself and your family, but also for the sake of your business and your employees. Consider this: Are you really the best version of yourself after 80 hours of the continuous grind? Probably not. Disconnect from work, reset your emotional battery and learn to balance life with work.

If you’re having trouble with any of the elements of G.A.M.B.L.E, the Growth Coach can help. Find a coach here: http://www.thegrowthcoach.com/locator.aspx.