91 Fundamental habits of highly motivated small business owners
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 7:01AM Over 100 small business owners shared what core habits they have put into practice to sustain motivation and maintain success. Below are 91 fundamental habits of highly motivated small business owners. The best way to eliminate a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. Seek out those that suit your business needs, skills and capacity. Implement them, work at them and make them your own. Your business needs to be on your terms.
1. Transparency. P. Cheung, www.my-wedding-concierge.com
2. Work when the inspiration strikes you. H. Claus, www.365daysofstyle.com
3. Diversify projects to offset monotony. S. Horowitz, www.principledprofit.com
4. Respond to all inbound inquiries from clients and colleagues immediately. N. Marshad, www.marshad.com
5. Let others know what you are doing, achieving and pursuing. P. Draper, www.mentalmysteries.com
6. Be a source of information. S. Bloom, www.bloomreg.com
7. Set untouchable, personal time away from business. K. Sherkey, www.streamline6.com
8. Be committed to the community you serve. J. Flynn, www.thelegalcheckup.com
9. Work in your strengths. Do what you do best. D. Hensch, www.drh-group.com
10. Live below your means. Use profits to grow your business. P. Solomon, www.pablosolomon.com
11. Keep up with technology. Emerging technology allows small business to compete on all levels and if adopted and utilized frees an amazing amount of time. B. Attig, www.myretailcareer.net
12. Never stop marketing. No marketing = No sales. C. Ruenheck www.itsyourcall.com
13. Never start the day without a plan. D. Furtwengler, www.furtwengler.com
14. Focus on results. Know what you are doing, how and why you are doing it. B. Flaxington, www.the-collaborative.com
15. Be willing to turn down business that does not pay you what you are worth. B. Phibbs, www.retaildoc.com
16. Discipline because there's no "boss man" threatening to fire you. S. Fischer, www.fischer-law.com
17. Consistently meet and connect with new people and have a follow-up system. B. Basilico, www.b2b-im.com
18. Stay in contact with influencers, network and stay highly visible. L. Singer, www.hsdominion.com
19. Monitor your progress. D. Helbig, www.seizethisdaycoaching.com
20. Become an avid "inspirational seeker" - read inspirational quotes. R. Guerrero, www.ficklets.com
21. Consistency. Whether it is a blog post, a contest giveaway, or product updates on the website, it is very important in my business that it is done at the same period of time each and every week. M. Podlesny, www.averagepersongardening.com
22. Treat your customer with respect and always make it about them. C. Sisson Hensley, www.hopsports.com
23. Focus, focus, focus on identified target market, ideal client and revenue generating activities. P. Mussieux, www.confidenceandcourage.com
24. Have a written plan. L. Tener, www.lisatener.com
25. Always be optimistic - yet tempered with reality. M. Pisik, www.breckwell.com
26. Live your top five values. Know your values intimately and be fueled by them. J. Hornickel, www.boldnewdirections.com
27. Listen at meetings, events, one-on-one, over the phone; any time you interact with another human being and you are in some way part of the conversation; listen to what is being said. D. Menzies, www.menziesconsulting.com
28. Sleep. Having enough sleep keeps your mind fresh and your mood positive. J. Johnson, www.allmomsgotoheaven.com
29. Learn to manage your schedule. D. Moseley-Williams, www.moseleywilliams.com
30. Frequently ask yourself, “What will be my legacy?” Be legacy-driven, not only hitting the mark, but also leaving a mark. V. Ashford, www.fearlessleading.com
31. Add value above and beyond your peers and competitors. D. Dalka, www.daviddalka.com
32. Don't think you can't; assume you can. J. Fender, www.accessmainstreet.com
33. Have integrity. When you operate from a fundamental position centered on integrity you have the ability to gain the trust and respect of your clients. G. DeRosa, www.cgmaterials.com
34. Maintain balance -- Without balance, you may lose sight of the really important reasons why your vision becomes your dream (i.e. family, ethics, community service, etc.) J. Patterson, www.e-LYNXX.com
35. Do your most important work first every day. T. Tervooren, www.tylertervooren.com
36. Show keen detail to servicing your clients and their needs. Regard yourself as an extension of their business. E. Khalil, www.abelpromos.com
37. Skill development. You need to be the best at what you do. Constant education in your field is a must. M. Meikle, www.mikemeikle.wordpress.com
38. Regular analysis of the numbers. On a monthly basis, look at the profit and loss statement and balance sheet of your business. H. Schauffler, www.marketingwithhenri.com
39. Measurable goal setting. You have to know what you want to achieve to be able to achieve it. P. Geisheker, www.geisheker.com
40. Continuously ask yourself, “What's the best use of my time right now.” B. Maher, www.barrymaher.com
41. Frame it in the positive because realizing the benefits in every situation is the foundation for growth. G. Shiffrar, www.shiffrar.com
42. “Work” at home - maintain a daily schedule of going to your office and closing the door each morning at a set time. S. Lamb, www.sandralamb.com
43. Respond to all customer feedback (positive and negative) immediately upon receipt. K. Pine, www.worldwiseewelry.com
44. Think like an innovator and trend-setter. J. Scardina Becker, www.eventsofdistinction.com
45. Learn to delegate. S. Olivarria, www.biggerthanyourblock.com
46. Ask for quality referrals, quality referrals, quality referrals. M. Henker, www.thehenkergroup.com
47. Keep improving your product or service. A. Sinha, www.accessconsultinginc.com
48. When you think you have worked hard enough, work harder. The business is your baby and must come first. L. Levine, www.profiledproducts.com
49. Eat right, sleep and exercise. It doesn't matter how smart you are or how great your plan or product is, if you don't take care of yourself, you will burn out quickly. T. Tafur www.thomasinatafur.com
50. Take time to rejuvenate. A. Pelliccio, www.thehappygardener.info
51. Keep in touch with past clients as they are great referral sources and will come to you when they need your service again in the future. M. Ferletic, www.enterey.com
52. Under promise and over deliver. J. Gallacher, www.santacruzrehearsalstudios.com
53. Hire the professionals to do what you can't excel at so you can use your time to do what you do best that generates income. Let them do the heavy lifting because they have the contacts and know-how. D. LeVie, Jr., www.kingscrownpublishing.com
54. Good writing and clear communication. Aim to write with clarity, correct grammar and punctuation; and whenever possible, with style. C. Sparks, www.holotropic.com
55. Network and leverage the resources of others with a win-win mindset. Ethically exploit the resources of other businesses, and share profits with them. They understand joint ventures, strategic alliances and endorsed marketing deals. R. Brauer, www.prophet-marketing.com
56. Be outrageous. Successful entrepreneurs are rarely run of the mill, boring or average. They approach business in a way so they ethically stand out in the minds of the market and the media. R. Brauer, www.prophet-marketing.com
57. Have a support system. Use the help of others to give you advice, provide a sounding board, and offer encouragement. Get into the habit of meeting regularly. J. Mounce, www.coacheffect.com
58. Bundle your services and products. Make it easy for your customer to buy more from you by packaging complementary products. J. Crisara, www.contractorselling.com
59. Make sure you're getting the best credit terms and discounts from suppliers. T. Anastasi, www.tomanastasi.com
60. Always stay caught up on your bookkeeping, bills and deliveries. J. Nielsen, www.myntstyle.com
61. Have a routine. Successful entrepreneurs create a routine of work that is consistent and fits with their lifestyle. D. Langton, www.langtoncherubino.com
62. Keep it simple. Write out business goals on one page. If you can't communicate it to an employee or a business partner in one page, it's too detailed - and no one will understand it. B. Leone, www.mrcopy.com
63. Surround yourself with highly motivated and talented people. B. Powell, www.yardshare.com
64. Put hard deadlines on a calendar, and to create a timeline of events that your customers, suppliers and prospects can hold you to. C. Goodwin, www.talkiscake.com
65. Don't be afraid to fire the poor performers. C. Tuculescu, www.cosnet.com
66. Document procedures and processes, so that you don’t have to spend time training multiple people on the same thing. R. Bodon, www.onesmallstep.com
67. Make appointments with yourself. Block out time on your calendar for projects and don't let anything move into that space; at least not without a conscious decision on prioritization. I. Miller, www.MentorMiller.com
68. Trust your gut. It feels things your brain does not. L. Taylor, www.nexgendigital.com
69. Know when to kill the idea. Abandon what doesn't work or no longer works even if it once did. Don’t hang on to practices or business concepts because you are emotionally attached. C. Stewart, www.remarxmedia.com
70. Be a businessperson who wants to succeed. Don’t be a slave to your businesses; don’t work 20-hour days unless you're under a tight deadline. Time isn't always money, except when it is. K. Bretcher, www.brazenbutton.com
71. Persistence, persistence, persistence. The ability to face the myriad of obstacles that entrepreneurs will encounter, and continue to push forward, is the most critical (not the only) factor in success. G. Karwoski, www.creativepr.com
72. Ask for referrals and references regularly. The best leverage into new and varied business opportunities lies within the business you have done successfully already. M. Harris, www.aperturecapital.com
73. Look at everything from your clients’ perspective (it will help marketing). L. Aharoni, www.aqtext.com
74. Believe in your product or service. If you truly believe in what you do or sell and can convey that belief from the heart, others will too. Dr. R. Amicay, www.amicay.com
75. Listen to customers and adapt to changing needs and requirements. S. Donahue, www.skyya.com
76. Be Grateful. Always thank your customers, clients and even those who just act interested. Don't try to sell anything when showing gratitude. K. Cahill, www.kriscahill.com
77. Collect e-mail addresses constantly and consensually. S. Dunseath, www.renoenvy.com
78. Keep the passion alive. Find things to stimulate you and challenge you so that you keep the passion for your profession alive. M. Verdin, www.verdinmarketing.com
79. Hustle. Constantly be on the lookout for story angles and places to tell your story (i.e. online, at events, to the press …anywhere). N. Beckord, www.venturearchetypes.com
80. Establish a vision that you review daily and use as a touchstone to make fundamental decisions. G. Butler, www.butlerfitzgerald.com
81. Don't be afraid to say, “I don't know,” and ask for help from seasoned council. T. Merrick, www.project7.com
82. Always keep an open mind (to new ideas, products, operational methods, etc.) V. Troyer, www.architecturalmailboxes.com
83. Have a willingness to learn from harsh feedback and mistakes made. E. Stutz, www.smoothsale.net
84. Do everything for yourself at least once. You gain valuable experience doing things for yourself. Afterwards, you can decide what is not core to your business success and outsource it. Dr. Z. Zguris, www.limetreecove.com
85. Show up. T. Scanlon, www.borgidacpas.com
86. Be consistent with your company's image or else it will confuse and reduce your customer base. T. Hartl, www.sellingsunshinebook.com
87. Start with the easy stuff. It frees you up to focus on the tough problems by limiting distractions caused by other tasks. B. Law, www.primedesignsolutions.com
88. Follow up on every opportunity until you have an answer either way, meaning the customer has bought something, or ultimately says "no". A. Sittig-Rolf, www.sittiginc.com
89. Block time for strategic planning and set time to check in on the business plan. K. Harad, www.newparentfinances.com
90. Pay bills and paychecks on time. Never being late on a bill is another big professional plus. Fast payments will foster loyalty with your employees and with anyone contracted for a project. C. Schexnyder, www.ohbabyfitness.com
91. Be the brand. You are your business. Everything you do reflects your brand. Protect it at all times. A.M. Blakeley, www.simplicitymastered.com
A.Michelle Blakeley is in the listening business. As a Micro Business Therapist, she provides an open-minded and non-judgmental ear to listen to the real issues and concerns that start-up, emerging and women entrepreneurs experience and negotiate solutions through comprehensive discussions and practical micro business plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter, contributor for the San Francisco Examiner and Fearless Woman Magazine; the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com and author of the NEW e-book: “Get it Right and Move Along… a collection of practical tips, tools and techniques for small business owners.”
Reader Comments (15)
Michelle,
This was an interesting entry. A lot of them were simply common sense. However, we tend to overlook them. Thanks for sharing this information. As an entrepreneur, it so easy to find yourself overwhelmed and the key is not crossing that line from "working smart to working hard"! Thanks again! This was great.
Lisa
@LIsa - Yes, hence the word "fundamental." Information overload can easily overwhelm small business owners and cause us to forget to "get back to the basics." Fundamental habits become our "auto-pilot" We do them without thinking. Thanks for your feedback.
AMB
Wow, that's a great list and a wonderful idea to put it together in one place. I know I'll get some use out of this since my common sense tends to take a walk when I'm stressed out and in a time crunch! And thanks for using my tip!
Kat
Greetings,
Wish could have got this list 10 yrs b.4, when i had restarted my career.
anyways, hope it will help others.
you have really done good karma by working hard on it.
best wishes
Gope.
@Kat - Thanks! (me too!)Take a few at a time and MASTER them so they are on "auto pilot." Select the ones that you connect with and work for you.
@Gope - Thanks!
Hi Michelle. Wow - that was some post! And all very relevant and serving as useful reminders. I like number 19 - monitor your progress. Often, as business owners, we can get lost in the "now" and not see where we've come from (good or bad) and to check that we are on the road to our vision for the business.
Thanks for sharing.
Great post Michele. Very insightful. A powerful reminder of what it takes to start, grow, and sustain a successful solo business.
@Barney - Thanks a bunch! Excellent point (and guilty as charged) ;)
@Zenobia - Thanks! Yes, and we have to mindful of developing and growing our business on our own terms.
All the best to you both!
AMB
I was going to post "get enough sleep," but it was already there at #28
Now it's official--you can start implementing this huge list by simply going to bed!
@Diana - Too funny... I'm still having bit of trouble getting that one under control. ;) AMB