Are there any business habits you need to change? After enjoying a few Thanksgiving meals and countless deviled eggs, I need to reconsider my eating habits, but that’s another story. Let’s talk about your service business. What is the one thing that stresses you daily, like a pebble in your shoe?
Be Honest about Your Business Habits
Your pebble may be the struggle to make payroll, especially if you have remote employees. Or it could be frequent employee no-shows that put you in jeopardy of losing customers. These labor issues are often indicators of poor business habits that need to change. The pill is hard to swallow. Your results are the sum of all of your decisions.
Examine Your Business From 20,000 Feet
Year-end is upon us. The time is right to reevaluate your business habits from a top-down, 20,000-foot view. Ask yourself tough questions. Be bold, dream about what you want your business and personal life to look like in 5 years. Then work backward to define everything it takes to get there. Be willing to blow up any boxes that your thinking has slipped into and is limiting your company’s potential. We talk to business owners daily and understand their struggles. We’ve learned a few questions that small business owners should frequently ask themselves.
Questions to Ask Yourself
- What is your corporate vision for the next five years?
- Are you building a business, or have you created a job for yourself?
- Are there things you need to keep learning to be an effective leader?
- Are you willing to delegate responsibilities? (You should read the E-Myth).
- Do you have the right people on staff? (How do you get better employees?)
- Do you have customers that cause more stress than they are worth? (Do you know what your customers are worth?)
- Are you taking care of yourself?
We hope you enjoy the rest of the year and the holiday season. When you head back for seconds on the buttered yeast rolls, let it be a reminder to consider some of the questions we’ve posed here. And then set time aside for honest self-examination. It’s your business. Work hard to make it what you want it to be.
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