There are steps you should take if you want to build a successful business or brand. Tasks that will lead you to a successful launch, an effective marketing campaign or a fruitful expansion. But before you even get that far, there are things you should do that lay the foundation for strength and success in your business.
Starting a business is a lifestyle choice. It’s not a hobby you do on the side or just for a little extra cash. And with every lifestyle choice comes change in the form of new habits that, once they become ingrained in your everyday routine, contribute to your overall success. So while it’s important to consider your business plan and your marketing techniques, it’s also vital to build a strong base for these activities, one that is unshakable and strong whatever happens.
Get happy with daily rituals
Starting your day on the right footing is essential to ensure that you move forward with a positive attitude. What is that you like to do that puts you in that ‘go get ‘em’ frame of mind? Perhaps you enjoy journaling or making lists of things to accomplish for the day. Perhaps you prefer to sit and read the paper with a coffee for a while. Whatever it is that sets you on the right path, that’s what you need to do.
What should you avoid? Things that tend to take you down a never ending rabbit hole. Email, social media, television. These are all mediums that many successful business owners find drag down the start of their day and are instead best left until later, when their energy is lagging and the critical thinking work is done.
Practice the fine art of visualization
This is the difference between someone who is optimistic and someone who is not: visualizing your business success, your product flying off the shelves, your services so in demand that you can’t keep up. What you want as a result of your hard work and long efforts in this business should always be top of mind.
When we visualize what we want, we create our realities. I’m not talking about ‘build it and they will come’ or some other field of dreams. I’m talking about growth and the fact that you can’t achieve goals that you don’t have in the first place. Even if the goals you want to achieve seem slightly out of your reach right now, having them and visualizing them will steer you in the right direction when you need to make decisions about your business.
Learn that risk is not your enemy
Now that you’ve visualized your end goal, you need to get there and while some goals might seem a little out of reach, it’s precisely that reach that is the difference between ‘getting along’ and ‘success’. We’re all a little afraid of risk. It’s what prevents us from taking giant leaps that could flatten us. But the greatest regrets in life tend to be those risks that you didn’t take, so when you’re at a crossroads and you need to make a decision, look at it from every angle and consider whether or not a calculated risk might be just the thing to move your business forward to those end goals. It’s about getting comfortable with being a little uncomfortable. A great way to be able to see the value of a little risk is to surround yourself with like-minded people, business owners who can look at what you’re planning and give you some honest feedback without bias or judgment.
Find your tribe
Business ownership can be a lonely process, but as a rule, humans are better off in a group situation. We thrive on social contact so it’s important to search for and find other business owners that you trust. Together, you can build each other up, motivate your efforts and provide unbiased insight and ideas when needed. Whether yours is a group of friends who meet for coffee or a Mastermind Group that you join to create that support structure and accountability, find your tribe and stick with them. When you’re struggling, the group will be there to help you stand up again and when you’ve had a success, they’ll be there to celebrate with you.
Take time to inhale the sweet scent of success
Too often, entrepreneurs don’t take the time celebrate successes; even little ones. Once one thing is achieved, they are racing off to the next task, as if there was some kind of time limit on accomplishment. There isn’t. What can happen however is that you get burnt out and tired if you don’t take the time to smell the scent of success and enjoy the moments in business when the outcome of your work is just what you visualized. Call up your tribe and make a date to celebrate.
Whatever business you’re in, however you get to your goals, there are things that are common to all and ways in which coaching and mentorship can help you find the best paths.