We all want to be successful. For most people, success is being financially independent, being able to take care of your family and your expenses without worrying too much about money; going on that holiday or getting whatever you want whenever you want it.
But there is a killer phrase that holds many people back and stops them from realising their potential. It’s “I can’t”, or “it can’t be done”. Now put yourself in the shoes of the lion. If the lion thought, for one moment, that it couldn’t run fast enough, it would surely fail and starve to death.
The gazelle as well, if it thought it could not run faster, it would surely become dinner for the lion. Everything in the universe is in motion — from the smallest atoms that form the building blocks of matter, to the largest planets, stars and galaxies. Progress stops if we stop moving.
The month of February is coming to an end. Which of your goals for the year have you achieved yet? Since there are now 10 months left, if you haven’t started moving yet, another year will pass you by in mediocrity. This article brings out a few pointers that will help you measure your progress and goad you into a faster speed, where ever you are, on the road to success.
How fast are you moving towards starting your own business?
Most people will agree with me that one of the best ways to get financially independent is through starting a successful business. In previous articles, we have seen that a salary will not make you rich, and saving a bit of money each month will never make you a millionaire.
The majority of financially successful people we see all over the world own one or more businesses. Even highly paid sports and entertainment stars own businesses that ensure a growing and sustainable wealth. Those who don’t, become poor once their high wages stop at retirement or through injury.
Now, if you seriously want to start a business, what action have you taken in the past two months toward this? Have you developed a bankable business plan? Have you read any good book on business planning and entrepreneurship? Have you taken some steps to find potential customers?
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There are so many books you can read that will help you get started. And so many resources on entrepreneurship are available on the internet, most of them for free. My website, http://smebusinesslink.com, has much of the resources that you need to create a business plan. You can read or download for free.
I also send out a weekly newsletter packed with insights and tips on starting up and business growth; and from the beginning of March, we will have a bigger publication in the form of the monthly BusinessLink magazine.
How fast is your marketing?
For most entrepreneurs, the hardest part of business is selling the product or service. Without sales, there is no income and therefore, no business. Marketing is what brings in sales.
How many marketing activities are you performing every day to bring in sales? A rule of thumb is that your product or service must be noticed by at least a 100 people in order for 10 to show interest. Of these 10, one will eventually buy. How does your marketing and prospecting measure up?
How many books and articles on marketing have you read this year? Books like Brian Tracy’s 21 Secrets to Success and John Maxwell’s 25 Ways to Win With People are essential reads for all entrepreneurs who want to move to the next level.
Has anyone referred business to you lately without you having to solicit for it? Networking is effective and inexpensive. If you are not in a network you are probably struggling to get new customers.
To benefit from networking, you need to actively participate in the group’s activities. That’s why it is called net “working” and not net “sitting”. Don’t push to sell your product too fast. Talk of other things of interest. As you get closer with people, you will find them getting interested in doing business with your.
Phillip Chichoni is a business planning and financial management consultant who works with entrepreneurs and growing businesses. You may contact him on [email protected]
