So you want to be your own boss?

Posted byedstillmanPosted inMy perspective

If you own your own business, you know how hard you have to work to keep it running smoothly and growing steadily. You also understand what it’s like to struggle through difficult times. However, you may not realize that you may be doing things that can easily derail your business. Ed Stillman invites you to explore the article below to learn about what not to do if your business is to be successful.

Missing Skills

You can quickly derail your business if you lack the skills you need to run it. Maybe you have no idea how to make a budget or do the necessary bookkeeping. Perhaps your customer service skills are weak or your business lacks focus and organization. You can learn what you need to by taking some business classes either online or at a local community college in Austin, Texas.

Unwillingness To Learn and Grow

You must be willing to learn and grow in your business. If you aren’t, you can easily sabotage yourself and your company. In fact, even if you have most of the skills you need for your current business, it’s still a good idea to strive to improve yourself and invest in some further education. Consider enrolling in an MBA program to take your knowledge of leadership, management, and business strategies to the next level. Continual learning is part of running a business, so be open to that.

Inability To Take Advice

You may also find yourself unable to take advice, and this, too, can be a problem for your company. Sometimes people just know more than you do about various areas of your business, so listen to them, and try their suggestions. Gather your employees for regular brainstorming sessions, and listen to their ideas and concerns. Also, meet with other business owners, and share your struggles. Some of them may have experienced similar issues and may be able to give you excellent advice about overcoming them. Give it a try.

Lack of Commitment

Your business can suffer from your lack of commitment. Perhaps you simply don’t have the focus to do everything it takes to run a business. Maybe you get distracted easily and prefer to follow other pursuits than put in the time and effort it takes to make your company successful. If this is true, you have a decision to make. You must decide how important your business is to you and whether you’re willing to take full responsibility for it. If you conclude your business is your priority, you may have to make some sacrifices in other areas of your life to get your business on track and keep it there.

Emotional Immaturity

Finally, if you’re emotionally immature, that can negatively affect your business. Maybe you fail to recognize problems or simply ignore them rather than dealing with them, or perhaps you indulge in emotional outbursts rather than calmly handling whatever the day brings. Everyone melts down occasionally, but if you notice a pattern here, you may need to work on building emotional maturity.

An On-track Business

Your business can grow and flourish, but you must grow in your skills and as a person to keep it on track. Visit Ed Stillman’s website for more leadership ideas or to set up a consultation. (written by: chelsealamb@businesspop.net)

April 26th, Vistage Austin is hosting their Vistage Executive Summit at the AT&T Center. Here’s the link Austin 2022 Vistage Executive Summit

Published by edstillman

I grew up in Carlsbad, north San Diego County, lost my dad as a teenager, went into the USAF for four years and hired on with 3M in 1969. Received my AA from Santa Barbara City College, BA and Masters from Redlands University and after 33 plus years, I retired from 3M in 2002. As I look back on my life, I have been creating myself and developing my skill sets to be a business coach and a Vistage Chair. I am president of SEOT, a "personal improvement" consulting firm spending most of my time working with Central Texas executives running small to medium size for-profit companies who are focusing on improving their profitability greater than their competition. My area of interest is assisting senior executives in creating a better balance between business commitments and personal relationships. I also facilatate three leadership labs each consisting of a dozen owners, presidents and CEOs. We meet monthly both in a group setting as well as in a 1-to-1 coaching session. Our focus is to sharpen each others' skills in becoming better leaders, making better decisions and taking ourselves and companies to that next level. Who are we? My members are experienced top executives who recognize that they don’t have all the answers and who actively seek the company of successful peers—both to give and receive insights and ideas. My members mine the 200 plus years of chief executive experience that comes together in our monthly meetings and members are eager to offer their own experience and insights in the process. As a group, we spend our time exploring topics members can't discuss anywhere else. My members have many other places where they can engage in idle, "cocktail party" chatter. Our mission is to provide the setting for discussing the "undiscussable." Where or who can you go to for confidential, honest feedback to assist you in minimizing your personal "Worry List"?