Written By: Mahalia Latortue
Running your own business can be sometimes be a challenge. Between generating leads, marketing, and networking it can be easy to forget the simple things that you aren’t supposed to do when running a business. Here are five things you SHOULD NOT do if you have your own business.
- Don’t do everything yourself.
The saying “If you want something done, you have to do it yourself,” is a terrible mantra for a business owner to adapt to. Doing everything yourself is an easy way to stress yourself out and lose out on precious sleep. It also takes time away from doing bigger, more important tasks. It is important for you to gather a team of competent, passionate individuals to help your business grow. If you can’t afford to hire a team, you can always hire and train interns. The easiest way to do that is to contact a local high school or college. In return for their service, you can offer class credit or volunteer hours. Either way, resist the urge to cover all the ground alone. GET HELP!
- Don’t get discouraged.
As I’ve stated before, running your own business can sometimes be a challenge. Somedays are going to be harder than others, and that’s okay. Running a company isn’t a short-term goal, it’s a long process and journey, so enjoy the ride! There isn’t one single business owner who hasn’t experienced some form of failure, disappointment, or doubt. All those feelings are not exclusive, they are inclusive and have touched every single business owner. Instead of discouragement, focus on being more resilient and learn how to handle stress in a healthy manner. Remember, when you are down there is nowhere to go but up.
- Don’t Rush Into Partnerships.
One of my all time favorite shows is “Kitchen Nightmares”, where Chef Gordon Ramsay is invited by restaurant owners to spend a week with their failing restaurants in an attempt to revive their business. There are far too many episodes where you see restaurants fail because of unhealthy partnerships. Just because someone is your best friend, long-time coworker and/or significant other, hardly qualifies them as the perfect candidate for running a business. The best partner is usually someone who has skills that complement your own. This allows you to cover a lot more ground and allows equal disbursement of responsibilities.
- Don’t forget why you started in the first place.
It’s easy to get carried away by everyday activities and forget about the vision behind your business. Whether it’s following a passion or having more control over your time to devote to family, always remember why you started down this path. Your passion and your vision is what fuels your motivation and your business’ success.
- Don’t Be Obsolete
In this day and age, things are always changing. Technology has become more advanced and social media has become one of the biggest marketing platforms. As a result of this, your business and marketing strategies should be flexible and interchangeable. Do not fall behind the curve! Not keeping up with technology and today’s advancements could be detrimental to your business. No one wants to deal with something that looks and feels obsolete. Think about it this way, if you gave a person the choice of using an IPhone or a flip phone, 99.9% of the time a person will always choose the IPhone! Why? Because it’s new, fun, and exciting! The best way to remain relevant is by keeping your eyes open for changing tides and keeping an open-mind to new ideas.