How to Succeed as a Small Business Owner
Vision
You must be able to articulate your big picture vision for your small business. You see the needs of your "people" or your customers before they appear. You really can predict the future regarding what will come, what can be, and what must be. To have this kind of vision takes guts. To be free to reach your vision, you have to know you are great, and you're the one to do the job. No matter how many others have tried it or will try it in the future, the world needs your unique skills, products, and point of view to see true brilliance. Vision + Swagger = Dreams turned into Reality.
Passion
When you have passion, you're willing to bust through walls to get your message, tools, products, or services out to the world. Busting through walls means: sticking to it when your family or life partner doesn't believe in you, or when your friends wonder when you'll get a "real job." Passion is really about perseverance and putting up with a future that can sometimes be uncertain. Fuel your passion by - never giving up - ever! And focus on your passion when you don't know how things will fit together in your business.
Flexibility
When you see something isn't working or when you see something does work but needs a bit of a push - you're 100% comfortable with changing direction and challenging conventional wisdom. You find a way to make it work and ignore the way "we've always done it." Think of this trait as the ability to pivot, and not get stuck on your ego and always needing to know the right answer. Or think of it as the quality of quick thinking and problem solving. This can be troublesome for people who may consider themselves shy and introverted. But you must push forward even if you are apprehensive. The ones with the most flexibility and the best ideas tend to win. Ignore speed and focus on allowing the great solution you have to bubble to the surface.
I am sure you do have the traits of a successful business owner. The key is to realize that you do and to let these set of characteristics run free in your heart, mind, and soul. This will translate into your business. Once that happens, stand back, look at your progress and say, "Wow. You created that. You solved your customer's problem. You made something you always wanted to do -- happen."
Allow your passion to drive you past the toughest and most uncertain moments. Vision allows you to see your success and push past self-doubt and the naysayers in your life. Flexibility empowers you to find unique solutions to business problems. You do have what it takes. And I look forward to seeing your amazing results!
When you feel discouraged, refer to this list. There are going to be times when you need to remind yourself of your vision, passion, and flexibility. Write down your vision, passion and flexibility. Create a vision board so that you can have a physical reminder of what goal you are working. Post it somewhere, where you can see it daily. Just remind yourself who you really are; even if you don't believe you have these traits now, you will. Just start believing it now. If you claim it, speak it out loud, you will eventually embody your vision for your business and your life.
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