Does Your Business Need An Attitude AdjustmentSue and Chuck DeFiore First you need to: Change your attitude. I know you feel you have a good reason for feeling bad. However, instead of moaning and groaning about why me, ask yourself how you can turn the situation around. It’s better than feeling sorry for yourself, and a lot more productive. You may not have all the answers you need immediately. It is important, though, that you are asking questions. Eventually you will ask the right questions, and move forward. Second, it is very important that you believe that you have the power to change things. The one thing to take from the past is the experience of success. Like us, many people “have had it and lost it and have had it again”. As we discuss in our book, “Who Makes It Happen We Do”, we lost it for a while, but we got it back. As we state in our book and constantly to our students, “who makes it happen, you do!” You have to believe you can be successful, to be successful! If you haven’t had the experience of creating a business success or earning a lot of money; then you need to get a mental picture of a time when you made a wise choice or acted in a certain way. For example, having the suggestion you made at work implemented. Getting down to a weight goal you set for yourself. Winning a tournament or championship in a particular sport. Closing your eyes and getting a mental picture of yourself succeeding or a mental picture of yourself in a more positive time is a very popular technique. Third, you need to work harder and smarter. As we have stated before, you are not going to be a millionaire overnight, unless you win the lottery; and we all know what your chances of that happening are. The surest way to make money is the old fashioned way, working for it. When you’re starting a new business, expect to work harder for months, even several years. If you can, hire someone or buy a piece of equipment that saves you time. If all your time is spent producing the product or if you are concentrating only on the supply end, you miss the big picture. You need to be able to see the big picture, to set goals for the future, and make decisions, in fact, some very important ones, to keep your business ahead of the competition. In order to succeed, you need to be able to focus clearly. This means that you need to take the time, away from the work environment, so you can think, without all the distractions and pressure. So your think time needs to be in a calm and serene en! vironment. If that occurs while in your car, walking, exercising, the spa, the shower, whatever, go there. Fourth, you need to keep focusing on what you want. Unfortunately for too many individuals all the focus is on the negatives. They focus more on why they can’t do it, instead of the positive, and because of this their business failures become a self fulfilling prophecy. Fear can be very debilitating to the business person, especially in the finance area. If you are fearful of financial disaster you may head toward it instead of taking the risks necessary to become successful. You need to focus on what you want for your business, to be ready for the challenges that will come your way, and then do whatever it takes to make it work. Five, instead of looking at the recession as an excuse, see it as a time of opportunity. Economic down turns sometimes will open up different opportunities for your business. During these times, people need and want value for their money. Instead of replacing an item, they will repair it. During this time, you may be able to buy equipment or inventory for less. Think ahead. Remember, business growth tends to be erratic with growth spurts and setbacks. You need to believe in what you are doing. You are in business for the long run so learn to deal with the ups and downs. Realize that you will prevail in the long run, since your product or service has value and appeal. Six, you also need to look ahead by staying on top of changes. Keep in touch with innovations in technology and how they effect your business. Don’t purchase something because it is the latest and greatest, if you don’t need it. However, if a piece of equipment or certain marketing methods will help you reach your goals, save you time or help you run your business better, invest in it. Seven, be aware that political or social changes that can make a difference, too. They can mean that your whole market is changing. Read everything you can get your hands on, stay tuned in to all the media and don’t forget to be aware of what your competition is doing. You need to keep asking yourself,” How can I cash in on this new trend” and “What do I have to do to catch up” And last but not least, realize that there are going to be certain areas of your business you are better at than others. Let’s say you manufacture and sell cassette holders. You are great at selling them, but not very good with the manufacturing end. Once you find what you can do better than any one else, keep doing it. You’ll not only stay in business through tough times, you’ll stay ahead. Copyright 2003 DeFiore Enterprises
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