A successful business is one great (or lucky) idea, followed by a lot of good ideas, and even more hard work.
If you have more than one business, you better start taking fish oils and eating Weetabix in industrial quantities.
Ignore the person that tells you your idea wont work. Seriously…cut them out of the opinion poll altogether.
Pay some attention to the person that tells you why your idea wont work. Wisdom, even in a negative form, has value.
Pay lots of attention to the people that suggest alternatives and work arounds. These people are very rare.
A nice summary of some of the unsolved questions in the world of science over on Moolf.com.
Imagine how rich you would be what a service to man kind you would have performed if you could solve just one of them.
So, make a list of all the problems that need solving in your industry, or in an area you do know something about, or in an area you care about.
Can you solve any of those?
Imagine what a service to your industry how rich you would be!
It’s likely if you work for yourself, you are responsible for asking “why”…
“why are you doing that”, “why is that taking more time than we expected”, “why isn’t this working”
Asking “why” is easier to do when you are observing as opposed to doing, so it’s easier to ask other people “why” then it is ourselves.
Having somebody ask you “why” can give you a fresh perspective or outlook. But when it’s the company owner or project leader asking the question, it’s the detail that gets examined, rather than the bigger picture.
Ironically, it’s the person directing a company or project (you) that needs to be asked “why” more than anyone else.
Otherwise you can end up doing pointless stuff really well.
Who would like the last glass of wine?
Would anybody like the last roast potato?
There’s only one chair left…does anybody want it?
We’d all like the last potato/wine/chair/(whatever)…but you take a moment to consider how much you want something in relation to the needs of others. But then isn’t there always some rude bast**d superfluous to the needs of others, staking claim to the last “X”. And it’s usually the same person.
We all admire it, and we all resent it. The important message, is that whilst you stand up with your empty glass still feeling a bit hungry, somebody else doesn’t.
In social circles, that’s ok, because our aims are not selfish.
In business, you better start learning when and what to take very quickly, because some bast**d is out there laying claim to everything, regardless of whether they need it.
Work isn’t about work, it’s about results.
If you don’t take a break, you’ll be respected for working hard, but you wont be admired for poor results. Let’s say (make up) you only achieve 80% of your potential when you are consistently burnt out. But take praise out of the equation, you’re the boss, you do it for love and / or money.
If you take too many breaks, your less likely to get good results, and you definitely wont be praised for working hard. Let’s say (make up) you only achieve 80% of your potential when you take too much holiday.
There’s very little difference between taking too much and too little holiday except a bit of martyrdom. Why not stick to a normal amount.
How good does it sound when somebody promises to have “it” ready in 1 hour (day, month, year)…how crap is it when they fail to deliver?
How bad does it sound when somebody breaks the news that “it’s” going to take 3 hours (days, months, years)…how fantastic is it when they deliver early?
To build a business, you’ve got to get the sale of course. To sustain a business, the last interaction you need to have with each customer needs to be a positive one.
Did your business start out with one objective (or none) and have you lost sight of that objective along the journey.
For example, is your main aim to just make a lot of money, and then eventually sell up?
Do you do something that you love and care about, and your business is just a platform for you to do it?
Have you taken on staff who you care about and you now want to ensure their futures and security?
Are you just looking to survive and pay the bills? (perhaps a short term goal).
Do you seek to do good in the community and improve other peoples lives?
Are you trying to build a legacy for your family?
When was the last time that you thought about what you would now consider to be your business being a success?
How much is enough for you or your business?
Have you ever defined it?
How will you know when you’ve got there?
If you did know, what would you do when you got there?
Would you redefine “enough” and carry on, or would you stop?
Why not stop now. For today at least. You’ve had enough.
You can always find time to slot in a new project right?
A new project:
An old project: