business ownership

Guest Post: 4 Signs Your Office Building Isn’t the Right Fit for Your Company

The office building in which your company is located says a lot about your business. If the space isn’t right for you, though, you’ll lose more than a sense of comfort. Below are four signs that your office building isn’t quite right for your company.

Constant Work-Arounds

There are certain issues that plague offices, most of which become part of the daily life of the employees. If you notice that your employees are constantly having to work around the faults of your building, though, that’s not a good sign. If employees know the bathrooms back-up, that they can’t use two microwaves at one time, or that the heating only works on the north side of the building, for example, there’s a chance that there’s something very wrong with your current space.

A Lack of Space

Your office building may have been right for your company a few years ago, but now it’s getting a little too crowded. When you do building and construction research, you need to ensure that you’re planning for your future needs and not just those of today. When you start to notice that you’re running out of space for new employees or that you never have enough conference rooms for all your meetings, it might be time to move.

Client Reactions

The way your clients react to your space might show you that your building isn’t right for you. If your clients never want to meet you at your office or if they express surprise that your company operates out a specific space, you’re experiencing an issue that’s causing you to lose potential profits. You need to ensure that your space represents your company in the way you want it represented.

Restrictive Rules

Finally, restrictive rules on how your business can operate can often be a sign that you’re in the wrong place. If you can’t make use of all of your space, if you aren’t able to secure adequate parking for special events, or if you have to follow specific rules that stop your business from operating efficiently, moving makes sense. Restrictions, whether from a landlord or from your community, can have a huge impact on the utility of your space and thus must be examined to determine if they’re worth dealing with.

Your office building should help and not hinder your business. If it’s causing you problems, it may be time to move. Remember, your location can have a huge impact on your business so make sure that your location is the right one.

 

Anica is a professional content and copywriter from San Francisco, California. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here.

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Guest Post: Moves to Make when Stepping into Entrepreneurship

We live in an entrepreneurial world, a world where technology has made it possible for everyone with an interesting idea and a sound growth plan to become a successful leader in the industry, and pave the road to long-term success and solvency. However, even though this opportune environment opens many doors for professional prosperity, that doesn’t mean that the road to entrepreneurial superstardom is not laden with obstacles and possibly crippling challenges.

Assuming that you have already developed an idea for your brand that will catch the eye of the consumer market, now is the time to tend to some crucial steps that will define the future of your company. Here are the key moves every aspiring entrepreneur should make.

It all starts with a business plan

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the most successful CEOs and entrepreneurs in the world started out with nothing more but a dream and a broken-down garage, because the fact of the matter is that they would never achieve the success they enjoy today if they didn’t have comprehensive business plan on their side. Because without it, your idea has no foundation and no reason to become anything more than a dream that never saw the light of day.

This exhaustive document should hold within its pages everything you and your team members need to know about your own brand, the market, the competition, and most importantly, the financial management methods needed to keep the ship afloat and even reach solvency. It might not sound like a lot of fun, spending weeks and months crafting such a document, but it will nonetheless be a crucial step that will define your future.

Building your network and client pool

A business that doesn’t have a pool of potential clients in its pocket is bound to have a difficult time getting off the ground, or reaching solvency within the first three years. In fact, you should not only have a pool of potential clients at the ready before you launch, but you should also secure clients for your company well-before you step into the competitive market. Networking and client acquisition is a difficult and time-consuming task, though, even for an established business.

The first thing you need to do is to find adequate help in terms of staff and software that will allow you to automate and outsource menial tasks so that you can focus on acquiring clients for your business. Next, you’ll need to get the word out that an amazing new brand is about to hit the market. You can visit networking events and get potential clients on the line to discuss your business and get them on your side before you launch. When you finally open the doors, you will already have established a stable income stream.

Ensure longevity in the entrepreneurial world

In all the chaos and stress of entrepreneurial life, many aspiring business leaders forget about the most important element of a successful career – their health and longevity. This point cannot be stressed enough: you need to get your personal life in order and ensure long-term health if you are to stay in the game for the long haul, and build the success you deserve.

The most important steps for an entrepreneur are eating healthy, banishing stress, and obtaining adequate coverage. Acquiring a comprehensive better life insurance is an important element of success, for instance, as it allows you to prepare for all contingencies, and ensure your loved ones, team members, and business are taken care of. There is no telling what could happen on the road to business success, and a real entrepreneur will plan for every scenario in order to prevent it or manage the situation as best as they can.

Invest in education and specialization

There is no greater education than one that is self-driven. Neil deGrasse Tyson, the leading astrophysicists of the modern era said that, and no other aphorism could better portray the importance of constant education for a modern entrepreneur. As a future business leader, you should have the thirst for never-ending growth and knowledge that will fuel your passion, drive innovation, and allow you to always stay one step ahead of the competition.

Not only should you learn how to manage your cash flow better, and how to market your business for maximum engagement, but you should also learn how to be a leader in order to inspire your employees and elevate their productivity as well. Under the wings of a devoted and passionate workforce, your business will have nowhere to go but up.

A parting word or two

The time is better than ever to put your business idea out there and transform it into a lucrative business the customers will love, and the rest of the business world will envy. However, there are several crucial steps you should take beforehand in order to ensure your success and pave the road to a long, thriving future as a 21st-century entrepreneur.

 

Emma Worden is a startup funding consultant from Sydney. She enjoys reading and writing on different aspects of entrepreneurship, usually finance and marketing. If you want to read more of her work, you can find it at https://bizzmarkblog.com/

Guest Post: How to Maintain a Professional Business Aesthetic

Every public business should maintain a professional image in its physical appearance. Prospective customers often judge a book by its cover, so to speak, and are likelier to do business with an attractive building than one that appears neglected or poorly maintained. Here are four tips for projecting a professional appearance.

Exterior Cleanliness

No matter the company building size, it can and should be kept clean through annual pressure washing, window cleaning, and debris removal. Sidewalks and parking areas should be weed-free and kept in serviceable condition, with cracks periodically repaired. The parking lot may need occasional resealing, depending on the type of surface it is.

Curb Appeal

At a glance during a drive-by or for customers’ first visits, the building should be inviting and attractive. Seasonal potted plants add a decorative touch. Window blinds, if any, should be kept open or closed uniformly, and broken blinds should be replaced. Visitors appreciate seeing a neat and well-kept parking area as well as walkways to the building. The overall effect should be polished. Anti-graffiti paint helps to deter defacing of exterior walls, fencing, and ancillary structures, such as stairs and porticos. A brick building can be sandblasted if it becomes dusty or sooty from pollution.

Well Maintained Facilities

The entrance needs to be aesthetically appealing, with clean doors, updated signage, tidy flooring, and a fragrant odor. Indoor or outdoor trash cans and recycling containers should not overflow or impede foot traffic. Reception areas and waiting areas can offer tasteful décor to make guests or customers feel welcome. Wall hangings, floral arrangements, and reading material or informational signs need to be neat and functional rather than overbearing. Even the mailbox, if visible, can be updated and kept clean to project a positive image.

Furnishings

Outdoor tables, chairs, or displays ought to be stylish and in good working order. Avoid displaying anything that has chipped or scratched paint or rust. Indoor furniture is expected to be clean, comfortable, and suitable to the business. A small company that boasts expensive furniture may seem to be operating over its budget, which can be alarming to some customers. Conversely, a large organize with cheap furnishings may cause visitors to question whether the company’s money is being managed effectively. The overall image should suggest quality without being ostentatious.

Maintaining a business structure does not have to be expensive or time consuming. Thoughtful planning, a methodical approach, and a low-cost budget can do wonders to keep the company looking its best.

 

 

Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700

Guest Post: How Maintaining Your Business Can Make You Feel More Responsible

When you operate a business, you have to make sure that your place stands out for the right reasons. When you have a problem with flickering lights or toilets that overflow, then your patrons may leave you for the competition and your employees have to struggle in a poor work environment. To feel more responsible, and know that your company is ready to serve customers, you need a few key service specialists to offer routine maintenance and provide emergency services when necessary

Using a cleaning service

To keep your property in great shape, it might be best to hire a janitorial company to come in once a day in the evenings or once a week. This service prevents clutter that can build up over the course of a work day or week, and can make your work environment healthier by preventing the spread of bacteria or viral infections. Plus, you know the place is always ready for customers and investors when the cleaning service comes in overnight. 

Pest control is a must

No matter whether you see pests as large as mice or as small as ants, it is still a good practice to use a pest control company. Pests of all kinds can spread disease, leave messes, and even cause damage to your wiring or building structure. By hiring a firm to spray your property regularly, you can prevent an infestation from being able to establish and spread, and keep out the stragglers, as well. Nothing turns off clients more than a business with an infestation.

Hiring a commercial electrician

Your wiring is at the heart of your company. When you want to make sure that everyone feels welcome, then make them feel safe with good lighting. A property that is well-lit and has no dark corners looks cleaner and more professional, and it serves as a hostile environment for wandering pests looking for a place to hide. If you use high-voltage equipment, then it is necessary to have routine inspections done by a professional commercial electrician to make sure that your system is running safely and efficiently. A short in this equipment can get blow up the machine or send an electrical surge throughout the entire building, and loose or frayed wiring can still carry a charge, heating up the area around it and potentially starting a fire.

A plumber on call is a welcome team member

A plumbing expert is another person you need to have on call. When a pipe bursts or a welder spews water, then you need an immediate fix before the whole place floods. Water damage can be hard to track, leading to damp places that grow mold, attract pests, or even cause damage to the structure of the building. A good relationship with a plumbing company can ensure that you get a fix right away.

Whether it is bugs or fuses blowing, any setback can cost your business money. By taking care of these problems sooner rather than later, you can provide a safe and welcoming structure for your guests or employees. Being responsible will go a long way for your self-confidence as a business owner, and it will make your business cleaner and safer for both staff and customers.

 

Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700

 

Guest Post: How to Better Understand Your Business’s Big-Picture Finances

When you are a business owner, there are many important tasks that you need to be able to participate in. One of the most important areas of any business are the finances and as an owner you will need to constantly understand your business’s finances. There are four tips that can be followed that will help you to better understand the finances of your business.

Hire Accountant

One of the best things you can do to better understand your business’s big-picture finances is to hire an accountant. When you hire an accountant, you will have someone that is able to prepare financial records and then present them to you in a fashion that is easy to review. At the same time, you will be able to receive a report and analysis that can explain to you why certain trends are occurring and what can be done to change them.

Use Software Programs

Another great thing that you can do to better understand the finances of your business would be to use a software program such as aggregatespend.com. When you have a software program for your business finances and to help with agrregate spend solution, you will receive a variety of reports that can help to make it easy to pull financial data. This will allow you to stay on top of your business finances whenever you need to have access to them.

Open Communication

It is very important that you have full communication with your company at all times. You should make sure that you are speaking with all department heads to get a better understanding of current performance. If things are trending in the wrong direction, you will want to make sure that you have time to react.

Stay Involved

Most importantly, you need to stay involved with your business. Depending on the size of your business, you may have to rely on other people to run certain functions of the organization. While you can hire people to do certain things, you do still need to stay involved with the company. It is important that you understand what is going on with your company on a daily basis. This will help you to better predict financial outcomes and understand your business finances.

When it comes to understanding finances, no two businesses are the same. Because of this, you will need to truly be connected with your organization in order to fully understand it. This will allow you to stay on top of the company and continue to do well.

Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.

Guest Post: How to Successfully Run Different Types of Businesses

Becoming a business owner is a dream that many people share. For those that are successfully running a business, expanding it or starting a new business is often a great option. In many cases, it can make sense to open up a new business that is in a completely different field as it will allow someone to diversify. When you are looking to run different types of businesses, there are a variety of tips that should be followed.

Stay Organized

Being a successful business owner will require you to be organized and efficient. This is even more important when you own more than one business that is in a variety of different fields. When you own multiple companies, you should be able to develop a strategy to follow that could help you to be organized.

Hire People You Trust

If you want to own multiple businesses, you are ultimately going to need to rely on other people that work for you. When you are growing your business empire, you should be able to identify the people that you trust and that are successful. These individuals are extremely important and will be necessary to grow your business going forward. It is important that you continue to employ the people that have helped you grow and develop and that you find ways to ensure that they want to continue to work for you.

Outsource Necessary Tasks

Another tip that you will need to follow if you want to be successful in owning multiple businesses in different industries is to be able to outsource necessary tasks. All businesses today have a variety of different professional needs that most business owners are not able to handle on their own. Some of these services can include accounting, information technology, manufacturing, medical product kitting, and a variety of other services that are extremely necessary. By outsourcing these services, you can be assured that they are done well.

Have a Plan

Most importantly, you need to have a plan whenever you are looking to grow and develop your business empire. While you can be excited to start a new company, you need to make sure that you have an exit plan. This will allow you to continue to have goals and look forward towards the future.

Overall, when you do run multiple types of businesses, it is important to remember what helped you to be successful. More than likely, you were able to work off of one of your top skills and develop a business around it. By continuing to do this, you should continue to do well in the business world.

Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.

Guest Post: 6 Business Continuity Tips You Need to Know

Planning to deal with any disaster or adversity doesn’t sound appealing but nowadays, the advancement in technology and repeated incidences of natural as well as man made disasters has made it very crucial to have a plan in hand.

Natural disasters can be any unforeseen situation like fire or flooding, infrastructure failure, or ransomware infection that can make you shut down your business if you don’t have a strategy. Also, the disruption in a digital system like cyberattacks as well as viruses or malware, power failure or telecommunication failure can interrupt your business especially if you are an online company and have all your data in systems.

So here are 6 most essential business continuity tips to redeem your business in case of such minor or catastrophic disasters.

  • Business Continuity Plan

Business continuity plan helps a company to continue their business and to redeem the business in case of any such unfortunate incident. And in order to develop a plan, you need to identify potential risks and threats that can affect your business at any point, and measuring the possible outcome of such risks.

After that, you can implement steps to save yourself from such incidences like backing up your data, making up a team, and training of the team. You also need to test those procedures with mock situations and ensure you update your plan regularly.

  • Business Impact Analysis

You should have impact analysis of your business prepared as it will help you analyze which business departments, sites or functions are needed to recover. You should carry a complete analysis of your information, sites, and employees to estimate the financial and operational harm caused to your company in case of any disaster.

You should also be aware of the connection and interdependency of different departments of your business so that you can make strategies to keep your crucial departments operational. This analysis will provide you with important information to establish priorities and recovery time frame of your continuity plan.

  • Recovery strategies

Damage to the office, equipment issue, or IT disruption can impact the business and cause financial loss. Recovery strategies are the alternate ways to keep your business operational even at a minimal level. You need to analyze your resources like people, buildings and machinery, supplies, and IT data to identify loopholes.

These strategies can involve improvising the office environment in case of infrastructure failures like setting up an office in other building or unaffected side of the facility. You can use telecommuting, entering into a contract with the third part, or developing a partnership or agreement.

  • Recovery Team

Develop a disaster recovery team that would be responsible for the emergency situation and get them trained. Select highly talented, competent, and senior staff from every branch and main departments of your company. Make them in charge of any emergency and implementation on business continuity plan. Every individual should be assigned a clear role and has to be responsible for their tasks and responsibilities.

Keep them involved in making business continuity plan and make them familiar with their responsibilities through repeated testing so that they can perform swiftly under pressure.

  • Basic Emergency Dealing Strategies

While covering the important aspects of emergency management, you should also keep in mind the basic and minor disaster recovery items that would be of immediate help in minor issues and save you from a serious disruption. Make sure that you have working fire extinguishers in every room. Invest in getting your staff trained for first aid and CPR as this can be of great help in danger as well as in general.

Also, keep automated external defibrillation unit and train your staff for its use. Always keep your first aid kit up to date with every essential accessory. Install an emergency alert system that can warn you in case of fire. Every member should have an emergency contact number list and also of other staff members. Keep your emergency exits functional and clear and every employee should know the drill of the evacuation plan.

  • Relax

Last but not least, stay calm and composed. Getting panicked over the problem can only make it worse. Also, it conveys a negative message to your employees. Your worry and anxiety also would affect their performance negatively and can ruin your plan. If you stay relax and focused, you would be able to think about the business continuity and other disaster management plans clearly.

Your execution of the plans would be more clear and confident and you can tackle the situation with great ease. To relax, talk to a loved one, go through all the planning that you have done to tackle such situation and let things go in a flow.

Following these steps can greatly help you to deal with disastrous situation efficiently and effectively. These investments can benefit you significantly in the long run so don’t hesitate to hire a business continuity consultant, getting your staff trained and equipping your office with all necessary disaster management equipment.

 

Leona is part of the content and community team at Specialty Fuel Services – providers of emergency fuel continuation services, in locations affected by catastrophic events.

Guest Post: Can You Be a Successful and Socially Conscious Entrepreneur?

“With great power comes great responsibility.” This sage advice guided a certain web-shooting teenage superhero, through decades of comic book issues, retcons, and movie franchise drama. It can also be a good tip for entrepreneurs. Becoming the owner of a successful business affords certain privileges and influence. You can use that influence to try to call attention to certain issues about which you’re passionate and make the world a better place. Some might even argue that if you have such influence, you have an obligation to use it for good, in the same way that Spiderman had an obligation to use his superpowers for good. But this isn’t such a difficult thing to grasp. Most of us want to do good in some way.

Long before Uncle Ben spoke those wise words, however, Sir John Dahlberg-Acton had a different quote about power: “power corrupts.” This is a quote that tends to put powerful people on the defensive, but it doesn’t mean that every powerful person is corrupt. Instead, it speaks to a fact that many rising entrepreneurs are beginning to realize: the more power you gain, the more difficult it is not to be corrupted. You may be faced with a powerful potential business partner who could skyrocket your business…even if you don’t quite agree with the way they do business. You may want to use your social media platforms to take a stance on a controversial but important issue, but fear losing your much of your customer base in doing so. The more successful you become, the more power you have to make socially conscious decisions, but your choices won’t seem as simple and clear as you imagined on the outset.

The good news is we’ve reached a time when many entrepreneurs don’t have to choose between being socially conscious or being a successful business. In fact, more and more consumers are concerned with the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the companies they support. According to public opinion surveys, 88% of consumers say they would prefer the businesses they support do their part to improve society and the environment. Employees, too, are taking a stance, with 83% of employees saying they would quit their job if they realized their employers profited from child labor. That doesn’t mean that it’s always easy to be both socially conscious and expand your business, but it’s not impossible.

image from Pixabay

Surround Yourself  With Socially Conscious Partners

It can be difficult to go against the tide on your own, and the good news is you don’t have to. Think about the businesses that you admire from a CSR standpoint: the ones who don’t just claim to care about their customers and employees but actually put that claim into practice. What about the charities you most admire? Reach out to those businesses and organizations and suggest a partnership. The stronger your network of socially conscious partners, the stronger your commitment to your social responsibility will be.

You should also consider this when hiring. Find employees who care about the same things your company cares about, and promote employees who embody the values you want your company to hold.

Cut Down on Waste

The precarious state of the environment is one of the biggest concerns in today’s society. Many consumers feel it’s important to be mindful of the resources we use and not to waste what we don’t need, and they want to support companies who feel the same way. Successful businesses can not only practice waste reduction, but they can lead an example for their peers to do the same. Sometimes, this can be as simple as placing recycling bins all throughout the office and storefront or using recycled paper and reused envelopes for office supplies. Other times, it’s a change that will have to go through the whole supply chain, a decision to use recycled materials for your products and to order supplies in bulk so as to cut down on packaging waste.

Reward Socially Conscious Practices

In order to be a socially conscious entrepreneur, your business has to be socially conscious, and your business is the employees that keep it going. So find ways to get them involved. Maybe you can raise money for a charity of your choice, and award those who raise the most with time off or casual wear privileges. Make a list of eco-friendly choices and assign bonuses for each one, to be turned in at the end of the quarter. Offer paid volunteer days. Possibly most of all, open your door to employees who have suggestions of ways that your company can be more socially conscious. Incentivizing your employees to get involved in socially conscious practices will help your company to be able to make more of an impact, and it will help them feel more excited and proud to work there.

Set Achievable Goals

No matter how successful you become, you’re not going to be able to achieve world peace or end world hunger. You can’t save the whole world with socially conscious practices. Instead, focus on the things that mean the most to you as a person. Do you want to help reduce homelessness in your city? Make the world a little greener? Take a stand against child labor and sweatshops? Set goals that you can manage based on your capabilities as an entrepreneur. If you have the opportunity to do more, by all means, do more. But trying to do everything at once often leads to being able to do little if anything at all.

Most beginning entrepreneurs dream of becoming successful enough to make a difference, but the more successful they become, the more complicated that seems. One of the best things you can do as a socially conscious entrepreneur is to surround yourself with people, business partners, consumers, employees, who hold you accountable to your principles. Remember that the more powerful and successful you become, the more responsibility you have. Practice these tips and you can use that success to make a positive impact on the world around you.

 

This is a guest post by Josh Elkin, founder of Best Coast Marketing a marketing agency that helps increase our clients’ traffic through organic link building. Josh enjoys writing about entrepreneurship, marketing, productivity and self-improvement.

Guest Post: 5 Things You Need To Let Go Of To Start a Business

There’s currently a boom in new businesses all over the globe. Global Entrepreneurship Center’s research reveals that approximately 50 million new businesses become operational every year around the world.

Many say that this is partly due to the paradigm shift created by the global economic recession a decade ago. People have learned the harsh reality that being a loyal and high performing employee is no assurance of stability or longevity in the company they work for. So, instead of placing their professional lives at the mercy of an organization that has its personal interest to think about all the time, they need to be their own boss.

Most of today’s new businesses were started by millennials – young people at just 20 to 35 years of age. They are called “Millenipreneurs” and they’re bringing great innovations to the business realm. This only goes to show that aside from the paradigm shift caused by the recession, there are other factors driving people to start their own business.

This is why a large percentage of millennials are deliberately forgoing the life of an employee to start a business. Not only that, many individuals are choosing to work for corporations for just a few years. They only want to gain experience and generate income to build their capital.

The Path to a Successful New Business

The road to becoming a business owner is not easy. Don’t let the statistics fool you into thinking that it’s a breeze to launch a business. It’s not just about having a vision for a good business, a flawless business plan, and a generous capital to work with.

It’s also about understanding the kind of person you are. You have to know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to harness and optimize them so you can become successful with the undertaking.

Letting go of certain things is one of the solutions you must work with to prepare yourself for the fulfilling life of a business owner.

What are the most important things you need to let go of to start a business?

1.  The idea that only you know what’s best for the business.

Although it’s true that you know the business best because it’s your brainchild and you have the best ideas for it, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the best understanding of how it works.

There are many requirements to meet just to make the business legally recognized. If you’re starting a business in Dubai, for example, you need to take care of certain UAE trade license activities details, special bank regulations, and corporate tax requirements, to cite a few. On top of those, there are industry variables to consider and principles to learn.

It won’t be easy to identify and execute smart business strategies as a greenhorn. As such, you can use the expert guidance of specialists in company formation. In DMCC, business set-up companies provide education for new business owners so they can put their beautiful plans effectively into action.

You’ll be a better business owner if you recognize that you can benefit and learn from others in order to do what’s best for your new enterprise.

2. Sense of entitlement

You may have graduated summa cum laude from a top business school, but when you’re starting a business, that doesn’t matter much if you are unable to effectively execute your plans. You need to get rid of whatever sense of entitlement you have and get things done yourself.

When you’re starting a business, sacrifice and commitment are crucial. This means you must be able to sacrifice your personal comfort as well as social and physical pleasures if need be to work toward achieving your goal.

3. The need to be perfect.

There’s no doubt that you will experience different bumps along the way, but you have to learn to get over them to ensure the progress of the business that you’re trying to get off the ground.

Instead of aiming for perfection, aim to get better. This is a much healthier approach to starting a business.

Likewise, don’t look at failures as signs to stop. Consider them as lessons. After all, success is the product of “learned failures.”

4.  The tendency to burn bridges.

In the world of business, connections are integral to success. Disagreements and disputes should be considered as temporary. In the amazing world of business, it’s not far-fetched for your competitors to serve as your strong allies in the future.

5. The propensity to choose shortcuts.

Most people prefer the quick way of doing things, but this often turns into a setback for those starting new businesses. Avoid choosing the short route because there’s not much value in it.

Long processes are better, particularly if you’re learning the ropes, because they provide more lessons and a better understanding of fundamental principles to uphold.

These are the most important things you need to let go of when you’re starting a business. When you rid yourself of these, you open your life as a new business owner to great things. Likewise, you can look toward less challenging years as a start-up enterprise.

 

 

Serial Entrepreneur and Business Strategist Henri Hazougi is the managing Director/Partner of Business Setup Consultants DMCC. The company offers a broad range of expertise in corporate services assisting companies and entrepreneurs in setting up and expanding their business in the UAE.

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