I hope that headline got your attention. It was meant to. I’m learning so much as I get closer to launching my long-awaited website. Here are three business philosophy tips from me to you.
1. Keep Your Eyes on the Goal
Last week I had a Skype conversation with colleague Emma Lo Russo. We chatted about the inevitable obstacles that arise when starting a new business. I said “If it wasn’t for my absolute passion and commitment to being a catalyst for change in the area of kids’ social and emotional education, I would have given up sobbing long ago”.
The number of obstacles that have been thrown my way have been numerous. They’ve included: building a website that was never going to work, insufficient funds, ever-changing parameters when dealing with third parties, uncooperative technology,personal and family challenges and of course the universal ones of sheer exhaustion and not enough hours in the day.
Wisely, Emma referred me to a quote from Henry Ford “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” Then this week I listened to the ABN webinar by Daniel Pink about motivation. The webinar confirmed that one of the most effective and powerful motivators is an internal desire to do something of service.
So, that’s my number one tip for new business success – if the entrepreneur behind it keeps her focus on the goal, and is motivated by much more than the usual external rewards (e.g. money), then it’s so much easier to overcome and work through obstacles.
And here are two more important success factors that I think make a new business more likely to succeed. I hope they help you maintain your optimism and determination.
2. Be a Lighthouse, Not a Weathervane
This phrase comes from one of my favourite inspirational books – The Other 90%; How to Unlock Your Vast Potential for Leadership & Life by Robert Cooper.The message is that each of us should live according to our own set of values. Cooper writes:
“When our individual values don’t fit with the life we’re leading or the direction we’re moving, we withhold our best and feel empty or stressed. Like those around us, we may soon be likened to a weathervane, going whichever way the wind blows.”
If, on the other hand, we live like a lighthouse then we are shining our own special light on ourselves and others as we walk our chosen path in life.
I try to concentrate on my values and my strengths and show them in how I build my business and how I deal with other people. Because I’m always eager to read more information, it’s easy to become a victim of “bright shiny object” syndrome and want to try every new piece of advice or technology that comes my way. I think that having clarity about my own values keeps me committed to my work and allows me to choose initiatives that are most likely to contribute to the success of my business.
3. Learn from Other People’s Mistakes
I think this is really powerful. I have learned so much from talking to other entrepreneurs and from reading about other business people. Reading business biographies, blogs and links on Twitter has helped me to avoid making some costly decisions when planning my new business.
Here is a post that I really like. It will give you some good examples of what I’m talking about here: ‘7 Teeth-Gnashing Mistakes I Made as an Entrepreneur’.
And here is one more ‘The Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Starting a Business’.
Do you have any other tips for me? Please post them below and share them with all of us.
