What’s the one attribute that separates winning entrepreneurs from those that are losing business and customers?
What’s the quality that takes some business owners from unprofitable to healthy profits?
Commitment is the attribute that divides the winners from the losers and keeps some entrepreneurs moving when others stop dead in their tracks.
It’s the characteristic that keeps successful people optimistic in the midst of crushing disappointments. It’s the quality that allows champions to learn from their losses and move on. Commitment keeps victors energized when the newness wears off.
How do you recognize committed business owners from others? Simple:
1. People who are committed keep their promises. They do what they say, long after the moment they said it in has passed.
2. People who are committed are in for the long haul. They are willing to exchange short-term luxuries for a brighter future.
3. People who are committed have their eye on the finish line, they set attainable goals and get there
4. People who are committed demonstrate a minute-after-minute, day-after-day, month-after-month, and year-after-year attention to ensuring that “mundane” tasks are accomplished, because they know that excellence isn’t in the details, it is the details.
5. People who are committed don’t build walls, they learn how to surpass them.
Yet, while most business people agree that commitment is an admirable trait, they may not know exactly what it means to put into action. If you don’t believe this, go online and take a look. You’ll find gobs of abandoned or poorly maintained websites and blogs all over the place. Then, consider how much time, energy, know-how, and money their owners wasted, because neglected websites and blogs do not generate income!
Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common fate for entrepreneurs – who by their very nature, are generally much more action-oriented than others.
So, why do so many well-intentioned and intelligent small businesspeople lack the commitment needed to grow and maintain a profitable business?
If you’re assuming that the answer to this question is that these folks lack solid work ethics, you couldn’t be more wrong. Rather, it’s usually just the opposite. That is, many entrepreneurs become paralyzed because they’re overworked, over committed, and overwhelmed!
For example:
They’re eager to take advantage of new opportunities, so say “yes” to more than they can handle.
They’re reluctant to delegate tasks to employees or outsource work because they’re convinced that their product or service quality will suffer – or it will cost them a fortune.
They grossly underestimated how much time and energy it would take them to run their businesses smoothly.
They fail to document key processes and systems, which makes it very difficult for them to train others to take over.
And the list goes on… Yet, even if you don’t identify with entrepreneurs who suffer from these, your plate is probably still full and you haven’t a clue where you’ll find the time to add more responsibilities to your burgeoning to-do lists. All of us have times when we want to shout, “Will somebody please help me?!”
That’s just the point. Savvy business people know when and how to get help. Once you learn to go with your strengths and delegate the rest you will find yourself more committed, happier and more successful.
Take a few minutes and see how committed you are? Is this something you want to change? What steps can you take today?
You need to make a commitment, and once you make it, then life will give you some answers.
Les Brown