Like many entrepreneurs, I prefer selling my products to keeping
the books. When I started my business, my dad teased me about
hiring a great accountant. I couldn't justify the expense, so I
dug into the financial aspects on my own. While working hard to
find real solutions, I discovered that as long as I was willing to
adapt, I could conquer any challenge.
Every entrepreneur faces a similar situation. As your business
grows, you encounter new responsibilities that are beyond your
current abilities. Fortunately, we entrepreneurs are a special
breed. Our conviction to succeed drives us to achieve what others
may see as impossible. We move forward against almost any obstacle,
even our personal limitations.
Rather than stopping in your tracks when new challenges appear,
conquer them with confidence. To concentrate your attention in the
face of new business challenges:
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1. Focus. A strong vision, combined with your belief in
yourself, enables you to discover solutions that work. Review your
daily activities each night. If any new areas of responsibility
appear, name them, and record several tactics you can use to move
forward. By focusing on defining the problem and its potential
solutions, you make the process less intimidating.
2. Collect information that suggests new approaches. By
looking at a challenge through others' eyes, you can discover
alternative solutions that you'll enjoy implementing. Ask
experts and other entrepreneurs to show you their secrets for how
to accomplish your goal. Invite and encourage them to offer
solutions. Ask tough questions about any assumptions they make, and
discover the action steps that will help you enjoy your new
responsibilities.
3. Establish unique systems that work for you. Update
your plan with steps that point you toward your end goal. Financial
software frustrated me, so I developed an Excel-based system that I
could easily update. It's not traditional, but now it's
easy for me to track my income and expenses.
4. Learn and adapt. Strong-willed entrepreneurs often
power around a challenge rather than facing it. Instead, review
your processes biweekly, uncover any new challenges, and revise
your steps to success to address them. Find and use shortcuts that
will make your work even more enjoyable! For instance, I added an
area to the income section of my financial spreadsheet to track the
issuance and payment of invoices. Tracking my accounts receivable
is now much easier.
When adaptation is a natural part of your business growth, your
resistance diminishes. Trust your judgment, and enjoy the process
of creating the steps to success as much as the outcome itself. Be
on the lookout for the areas of your business that aren't
working, and have the courage to accept them. Persistently develop
unique remedies, and move forward with confidence.
Editor's note: Looking for our "Countdown to
Startup" series? We've compiled it into one easy-to-use
feature. Click here
to read it.
Speaker and consultant Romanus Wolter, aka "The Kick Start
Guy," is author of Kick Start Your Dream Business.