Your First Step

The First Step

Your first step to growing a successful business that works for you, and one that you can be genuinely proud of, is to acknowledge that the business is most likely not running like the well-oiled machine it should be, or could be.

Unfortunately this is where many owners fall at the first hurdle. And it’s understandable. After all, these businesses are their babies, and it’s often very difficult to admit that they’re less than perfect, let alone adequate! On top of that they also often feel it reflects badly on them if the business is not doing well. So they either refuse to believe that their business is not the roaring success they would like it to be, or they convince themselves that this is how all businesses are. Some even wear the longer hours they work and the stresses they endure as a badge of honour!

So …

To take that first step to growing a successful business, you need to get yourself in the right frame of mind. Take a step back, look at your business objectively and, if the business is not where you want it to be, then recognise this. Crucially, be prepared to admit you could do with a little help from someone from outside the business about how you could get there. After all, if you knew what was needed, you’d have already done it.

This is not an admission of failure; far from it … it’s a sign of progress! Wanting to fix a problem is the first step to finding a solution, closely followed by a willingness to both change how you do things and take advice as to how best to go about it! Without this the status quo is maintained. And, to paraphrase an Einstein quote, “repeating the same steps and expecting a different outcome is insane”.

To help you through this first step I’ve put together a list of simple questions that address the most common issues businesses struggle with, and often don’t recognise as warning signs. I call this the Honesty Test.

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The Honesty Test

So … time for you to be totally honest with yourself and have a look at these questions below. (And don’t worry … nobody’s watching you!).

Is your business:

• Struggling to bring in more sales and/or clients?
• Unable to retain a stable client base from which to grow?
• Unable to regularly pay its creditors on time?
• Having to make arrangements with the ATO for its BAS and tax obligations?
• Behind with its superannuation payments?
• Writing off too much in bad debts from your customers each year?

Do you:

• Have to scrape the dust off your stock sometimes to see what it is (if you can find it)?
• Wonder why more sales isn’t translating into more profit?
• Dread picking up a call from a customer because you think it’s more than likely another complaint?
• Wonder why your staff don’t do their jobs as well as you could?
• Wish someone else was able to sort out the problems that arise every day in the business instead of them always landing on your desk?
• Dream of being able to go on an extended holiday, safe in the knowledge that the business will run smoothly without you … but feel you can’t?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions then your business is in need of attention and we need to talk … and quickly … to find The Solution!