Month: March 2011 | Simple Small Business

Are You a Business Owner on a Tread Mill?

Running to catch up, but never quite getting there.

As small business owners, we all know what it is like to lie in bed at night or get up early in the morning to add to our list of all the projects that we want or feel we need to accomplish that day. If you are an optimist you will often think, “Today is the day I get a lot of things done on my list, then I can take a day to relax”. But by the end of the day, you feel like you are further behind then when you started.

It is a common issue with small businesses owners and even CEOs of large corporations. The sad fact is, if you are running a business there will always be more than enough to do. There really is only one way to get a handle on this problem that can lead to burn out and even depression. Learn to decide every day what the one thing is you want to accomplish before the day is over. What is the one thing that will move your business just a little closer to your goal? It is a mental game that you must learn to play by yourself every morning and ask yourself the following question. “If I could only accomplish one thing today, what would it be?” (read more about focus)

Yes, it is important to keep that priority list and naturally you will continue to add to that list. But, if you only have one thing to complete, anything else that gets done is simply icing on the cake.

Can Your Business Survive the Economic Slump & High Gas Prices?

For a Clue as to How to Weather the Storm, Look at Those Who Have

Almost every business feels it when the economy takes a down turn and we all hear the little voice that says, “what if ?” But taking a cue from those companies that have sailed through the Tsunamis, not just once but many times, just may hold the key to your survival.

Kimberly-Clark, Philip Morris, Walgreen’s, Kroger, Gillette, Abbot Laboratories, Wells Fargo, Pitney Bowes, Wal-Mart and Walt Disney are only a few companies that have sustained growth through good times and bad over the last fifty to more than 100 years.

They all became and were known as the best at something.
They all focused on hiring good people and then not micro-managing these people.
They all had very specific goals for the company and everyone knew those goals by heart.
They all had core values that went beyond just making money.
Every decision that these companies made were determined by their goals and their core values.

When times get tough, it may be more important than ever to find something in which your business can become known as the best.