The immortal dream of business success grabs the imagination of aspiring business owners the world over.
A grand vision of over-flowing profits, happy customers and a well balanced home life is what many of us hope for.
This vision is only possible by developing habits that allow for this vision to take place. With that said, lets dive into how to accomplish this. The 7 habits we discuss today are timeless and stand the test of time. Making an effort to improve in each area will not only help your bottom line, they will yield benefits far beyond the business world too.
7 Habits of Success
Habit of Success # 1. Lay a good foundation. Successful people create a solid foundation of peers, mentors and advisers that they seek out and build relationships with over time. This inner network provides support and direction when they need help making important decisions concerning their business. Though you are ultimately responsible for what direction you take your company in, having a support network in place can help guide you when you need a helping hand.
Habit of Success # 2. Be customer focused. Business success demands an unwavering commitment to the customer. This commitment means you need to understand the customers concerns (see the issue through their eyes). When you understand the customers wants and needs you tend to keep customers happy for longer. Take your focus away from your business and your profits for a moment. Shine a spotlight on your customers instead. When you take care of them, they will take care of you (by being loyal and profitable).
Habit of Success # 3. Be honest with yourself. You need to know your strengths and weaknesses as a person. Being honest about yourself allows you to grow as an individual (and as a company). Though you certainly want to improve in areas you are weak in, remember to also grow your strengths too. Many people spend too much time trying to fix weaknesses in themselves at the expense of never getting better at what they are already good at.
Habit of Success # 4. Be flexible. Success requires you to have the ability to adapt quickly to changing situations. This is because nothing ever goes as planned. The world of business is full of surprises and unforeseen events. Using the habit of adaptability allows business owners to respond to various circumstances with the ability to change course and act without complete information. Being flexible also allows you to respond to changes without being paralyzed with fear and uncertainty.
Habit of Success # 5. Focus on opportunities. Problems crop up all the time when you run your own business. Employee issues, customer misunderstandings, broken equipment, cash shortages, the list goes on and on. To achieve lasting success, look at both sides of the coin. Every problem has an opportunity somewhere close by. Seize on the opportunities to keep the game of business fun and energizing.
Habit of Success # 6. Always look for a better way. Being productive is one of the main keys to success. Get in the habit of finding a better way to make your business more productive. This will give you more time to focus on the big issues (like more sales). Productivity can be improved by investing in better equipment, creating better systems or better time management.
Habit of Success # 7. Create a well balanced life. Running a business can consume your time and energy. It’s easy to allow the business to take control of your life for long stretches. To have lasting success you need a healthy balance of work and play. Separating time for daily business and free time is a habit that will make your business and life much more enjoyable. You achieve this through the proper planning of your week.
Making these new habits a part of your routine will have a dramatic effect on your level of success. Review each of the 7 habits to see where you can improve. Work on one habit at a time until you see improvement, you’ll be happy you made the effort.