grow my business

Operating a business (with the global market still in post-COVID, Ukraine war chaos and the cost-of-living crisis worsening) has never felt more like riding a lion.

Exhilarating but what happens if it eats me? It's simple but not easy to stay on point, get through life, have enough at month's end and not dread Mondays.  And if that’s so, the thought of growth is simply too tiring for many of us. 

The New Normal?

So, yes, it’s hard right now. And so, can and how do we load-rate for this new normal which isn’t going away any time soon?

1 Decide

It’s a fact that what we think, say, listen to, dwell and act on impacts our brain physically (Dr Caroline Leaf’s work on neuroplasticity).  Deciding you’re going to thrive not just survive, set and achieve a modest profit target each month, and solve what gets in the way of doing this so you can live life on our terms IS the place to start. It galvanises your sub-conscious (a formidable ally), unleashes what Michael Lothier calls the Law of Attraction (real, trust me!) and notifies everyone around you, you mean business. 

2 Hold onto your Vision

As your WHY that will keep you at it when things get tough. Nietzsche famously said: “they who have a why to live for, can bear almost any how.”

3 Watch the numbers

They don’t lie. Know don’t guess how much enough is, and how you’re doing daily, weekly and monthly towards this.

4 Tools

Have a kitbag of tools for when you’re on the edge of a personal meltdown, feeling discouragement and wanting to quit. My book PEACE by Piece  details some practical suggestions if you’re stuck.

5 Get help

If you need it, it’s not weak, it’s sensible!

6 Know your enemy

If it takes too long to solve a problem, you’re solving the wrong problem….or the symptom of the problem, which is NOT the same thing.

7 Learn to “sell” your offering

This doesn’t just mean taking orders, responding to inquiries promptly or administering re-orders. It’s about “dating” targeted new prospects – finding them, convincing them with an offer they’d feel silly saying no to, and closing them when YOU need them.

8 Train in the rain

Accept some tasks aren’t pleasant but are necessary. For every hard thing you face, there’s a harder thing if you don’t. And the habits you create just doing the hard things when needed, will gift you momentum, which lessens the effort – like fins when you’re swimming.

9 Performance manage the team

Give them clarity on what they must do, ensure they are competent on how to, implement prompt consequences if they exceed or fall short of this, and keep them enrolled to your vision and values. It’s on you.

10 Remember “Champagne and Cigars”

Pay yourself properly and on time every month. Without rewarding yourself as the owner, you’re vulnerable to losing heart.

Doing these 10 things habitually will help you cut through the noise, conserve your time, keep the business wheels turning, ensure your month at the end of your money. And give you the necessary bandwidth to entertain growing your business.

This matters because, now more than ever, our economy and the world our children will grow up in need of entrepreneurs who can, step up.  

So, why not pick one or some of these, try them and let us know what the results were?

And if this blog inspired you, why not take a look at my other musings?