Overcoming Obstacles in Business

There’s no perfect strategy for business success.  Oftentimes business owners or more likely young entrepreneurs just starting out face many obstacles on the road to attaining their goals.  No new business owner won’t face challenges, plain and simple, but there’s no reason you can’t overcome those challenges.  As you start a new venture there will be failures along the way but there will also be great rewards and successes.  So how can you rise above and overcome obstacles in business?

First off, surround yourself with positive people and creative thinkers.  “This is a great way to overcome the inevitable hurdles and obstacles you will face as an entrepreneur.”  Ignore outside negative influencers and the naysayers who say you can’t do something you know and believe in your gut you can.  Have faith in your abilities and your vision.  Build up a strong network of people that believe in you.  Surround yourself with positive people that will help you focus on achieving your dreams even when things seem tough.

Keep plugging away, or as they say: “Keep on truckin!”  Oftentimes it’s easy to get down on yourself or fill your head with doubt as you move your business forward.  As a young business owner, every day will be filled with challenges – you must venture into uncharted territory, overcome new obstacles and face new adversaries.  Give yourself a gut check once in a while; go back to your roots; re-analyze why you started up your business in the first place.  Dig deep and keep moving forward.  If you believe in yourself, others will too.

Look for new solutions to everyday problems.  Keep trying regardless.  When faced with business obstacles, if you keep trying, even through the tough times, you’ll be forced to examine alternate solutions to new problems.  Be persistent.

See your obstacles as a chance for inspiration and new ways of thoughts and processes.  “Obstacles are just feedback from reality.”  Obstacles can be valuable and teach you how to readjust your strategy, tweak your brand and redefine a product.  Obstacles can be seen as “good thinking partners.”  Obstacles bring to light adjustments you must make in order to be a success.

As Nike said: “Just do it!”  Oftentimes an entrepreneur’s biggest roadblock to success is the fear of failure.  Business owners get stressed knowing that their income and livelihood depend on whether or not they can make a go of their venture.  Don’t let fear take charge of every decision you make.

Find a way or make things happen for yourself.  Even if you have a mentor and great employees, no one is going to give you the ultimate formula for success.  You need to make it a reality all on your own.  Learn to preserve and make things happen on your own whether that’s through networking or branching out into social media or keeping yourself informed of daily market trends.

Keep a positive attitude and combine it with action.  This is the best way to see solid results. Take some time for yourself once in a while so that you can recharge your battery and think more clearly.  This will bring the important things into focus.

Use your brain power.  “Your brain often does not fully distinguish between a real and imagined thought, so use its power to imagine what it looks like when you have overcome an obstacle successfully.”  Examine problems thoroughly and ask yourself how you can work through them carefully that leads to a successful outcome. 

Get another perspective.  Entrepreneurs tend to be problem solvers and when faced with obstacles or limitations they look to find solutions.  That said, they can’t always find their own.  Look to others (whether it be a mentor, friend, colleague or employee) and ask them how they might overcome an obstacle you are currently facing.  Listen to others and really “hear” them.  Outside perspectives can spark creativity and new ways of doing things that can be more effective in the long run.  

Take baby steps.  Don’t just jump right into your new venture head first and without thinking.  Plan carefully.  Think about the future and your long-term goals.  Don’t allow roadblocks to stand in your way of success and hinder your progress.  Think of small ways to overcome big problems.

Build a successful team of people around you.  Make smart hiring decisions.  Bring on people that are motivated and will add value to your business.  Ask how new hires can help you grow.  Listen to their thoughts and opinions and you just might discover new ways of doing things.

Lastly and most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it most.  There’s no shame in reaching out to others for motivation or inspiration.  Running a business doesn’t mean you have to run it alone! 

Here are some articles you might want to check out about overcoming obstacles in business:

“5 Tips for Overcoming Small Business Challenges and Failures”: http://www.morebusiness.com/managing-challenges

“Overcoming Challenges in Business”: http://www.monroestaffing.com/blog/?p=236

“Overcoming Challenges that Prevent Small Business Growth”: http://www.canadaone.com/ezine/april07/small_business_growth_challenges.html

“Overcoming Challenges that Stall Small Business Growth”: http://voices.yahoo.com/overcoming-challenges-stall-small-business-growth-8279473.html

Until next time…

How to Be a Great Boss

Sometimes being the boss is no fun and can be a very difficult challenge often one of the most difficult young entrepreneurs face as they may have never taken on this role before.  Being a great boss means leading, listening to your employees and setting forth the goals of your business to those working for you.  So how to actually become a great boss?

First off, try to keep your emotions in check when interacting with your employees.  Major blowups and outbursts can be very detrimental to your relationship with your employees.  It adds stress to their daily work lives and tends to detract from success.  You need to be a motivator and give positive encouragement.

Treat your employees the way you would want to be treated – they are people after all with emotions.  Try and act like a boss you’ve admired in the past.  Your employees will appreciate you and work harder if you show them respect.  As the boss, you must set an example of the values of your company and others will follow.  If you’re hostile, it will lead to hostility amongst employees.  Breed an atmosphere of comfort.

Keep your employees “in the loop” on a daily basis.  Make sure that their priorities are in line with yours.  Encourage questions.  Reach out to employees and see how they’re doing.  Reward success.  Most importantly, listen.  Often employees have good ideas and they want to feel valued and like their opinions matters.  Those ideas, if listened to, can often lead to new and innovative ways of doing things.  Listen to the issues your employees are raising and follow up.

Delegate tasks.  Show your employees that you have faith in their abilities and that you trust them.  Show them support and enthusiasm.  Let them know that you’re not a micromanager and that you have confidence in their abilities to work independently.  Don’t hover.

Don’t play favorites.  While you might thing one of your employees in particular is a standout success, tell them that in private.  Don’t hold meetings where you single out employees for things they could do better.  Talk to them in private and give them tips on how to better manage their day and workflow.

Allow your employees to express their concerns.  Have an open-door policy where they feel free to talk to you in confidence and in an accepting environment.  Provide a listening ear; really “hear” them.  Be sympathetic to their concerns and show them that you understand and are on their side and are there to help them succeed and grow.

Value your employees’ opinions and you just might learn from them.  New hires might have come from companies with different rules and ways of doing things.  Take those into consideration and maybe even consider implementing them yourself.  Be open to advice and you might find better, more efficient ways to run your company.  Be open and opportunity may follow.

Train your employees to better enhance their skills.  Bring in outside advisors and run focus groups and provide an environment that fosters a learning environment.  Help them to better enhance their ways of working on a daily basis.  Teach them to prioritize.  When you develop your employees’ skills, your company runs smoother and better.

Always keep a positive attitude around the office.  “Strive to see the good side of things and point these out to your staff.”  Don’t talk despairingly about the company.  Keep a positive outlook.  

Have integrity as a boss.  You must be trustworthy and honest to have credibility with your employees.  Don’t manipulate or lie.  Set standards of truthfulness and the behavior of your team will respond in kind.

Be an advocate for your employees.  Show them that you’re on their side and stand behind their ability to make independent decisions.  Helping your team get the tools and support they need is key to being a good boss.

Hire and fire effectively.  Your team counts on you to provide the best co-workers possible.  Hire people that have the ability and willingness to do the job right.  You want to bring people on board that mesh well with them team you already have in place so they can all work together more effectively and build trust and camaraderie.  You also have to be willing to let go members of your team who are unmotivated or bring down employee morale.

Have a vision and communicate it effectively to your staff.  “You are the captain of the ship and you need a map and a navigational plan to get ahead and meet your goals.”  While you want input from your team, you’re still in charge and it’s your job as a boss to create a plan and inform everyone about what his or her role is in the company.  The plan you develop creates the results you desire and want your team to embrace and implement.

Be knowledgeable about your industry and keep ahead of the game.  Make sure you’re networking with other corporate leaders and visionaries.  Attend conference and read important media on your industry.  This allows you to share the latest thinking with your team and communicate to them any new goals or plans for the future to move your business ahead steadily and successfully.

Motivate your team to look for extra business development opportunities.  Give your team monetary incentives for original thoughts and ideas about growing your business.  Make your employees want to exceed expectations and give them every opportunity to do so.

Being a great boss in not for the faint of heart and it means “balancing business with humanity.”  The day-to-day challenges of being a great boss can be difficult, overwhelming and intense but the positives you will reap from being the best you can be are unlimited.  A great boss not only impacts his or her current team but mentors and leads by example.

Here are some articles you might want to check out on how to be a great boss:

“How to Be a Good Boss”: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Boss

“7 Unusual Things Great Bosses Do”: http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/7-unusual-things-great-bosses-do.html

“10 Things Great Bosses Do”: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57444143/10-things-great-bosses-do/

“17 Signs That You’re a Great Boss”: http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/managing/article/17-signs-that-you-are-a-great-boss-1/

Until next time…

How to Create a Successful Online Business Presence

An online presence is a very important key component to running a successful business regardless of what your business sells, who your clients are or what your target market is.  Even if many of your transaction are done face-to-face, an online presence is still a must.  So what elements do you need to create such a presence?

First off, get a domain name for your business.  Having a domain name for your business is like having a phone number for the web.  It’s important to have a platform that will link all your social media accounts, YouTube videos, blog posts, etc.  

Next, get an email address with your domain.  Having a professional email address means that you are serious about your business and your brand.  “It also gives a level of confidence to customers that the email address has a direct relationship to your business.”  Professional email addresses give a better first impression that merely having a domain @google .com or @yahoo.com.

The next step to having a strong online presence is by having a professional website.  Your website should look sleek, modern, succinct, easy to navigate, official, professional and established.  There are many companies out there (some less pricey than others) that can set up a stellar website for your business.  That said, one of the most common mistakes business owners make is going for the cheapest available setup and design.  You don’t have to go over the top if you’re just starting out but putting time and money into your website will pay off in the long-run. “Your website is a reflection of your business and a powerful marketing medium so it is important to get it done professionally.”

Optimize for search engines.  Now that you have a website the most logical next step is to promote and optimize it for search engines so that your website can be found easily.  In this digital age, most people turn to search engines to find businesses and services in their area.  “Search engines are considered one of the most powerful distribution channels and the most effective way to drive traffic to your website.”

Add your business to online directories.  This helps you reach your target audience in local areas as well gather leads on new customers.  Try adding your business to “Google Business Center.”  Google is one of the top 10 websites in the world and gets millions of unique visitors every day.  Adding your business to Google Business Center ensures that your business will appear in Google search results and Google maps as well so your business can be easily located by consumers.

Use social media as much as possible.  Get on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and YouTube.  It is often wise to start a blog as well.  Stick to a handful of sites.  Try pouring your heart and soul into a few select sites; don’t waste time on lesser used networks.  Make sure you are tweeting and posting to Facebook regularly throughout the day so you keep your customer base informed of your products and services at all times.

Embrace photography.  Photos tend to stand out far more than status updates or links.  “They are clear and concise and easily taken in by social media users.”  You can make use of pictures in practically any industry simply by showing photos of the products and services you are offering.  “It is a known fact that profiles with photos generate more engagement than those that only have written updates.”

Think about offering giveaways and freebies.  This is a strong way to engage your customers and win repeat business.  It also allows for word of mouth.  Try to get your target audience involved in some sort of competition or prize draw.  This is a savvy way to build up your email list as well.  Giving away something small can mean big returns down the line.

Probably the most important piece of advice I can give you today is to make it easy for your customers to pay.  It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize that you want it to be easy for people to give you their money.  Customers should be able to pay for goods with a few simple clicks.  Try not to have timers to complete their purchases.  Let them set their own pace so you don’t scare them away.  Additionally, offer as many payment methods as possible.  PayPal is an effective tool as well as accepting a host of different credit and debit cards.

I’ll leave you with one last thought: Why should you take advantage of an online presence?  Often it’s cheap and free, you can succeed with limited knowledge and most importantly, everyone’s doing it!

Here are some articles you might want to check out about how to create an online business presence:

 “Building an Online Presence for Your Business”: http://www.examiner.com/article/building-an-online-presence-tools-tips-and-tricks

“4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence”: http://mashable.com/2010/02/10/business-web-presence/

“7 Essential Stages of Building an Online Presence”: http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2012/08/07/7-essential-stages-of-building-a-total-online-presence/

“How to Create a Total Online Presence When You Really Don’t Have the Time”: http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2012/06/14/how-to-create-a-total-online-presence-when-you-really-dont-have-the-time/

Until next time…