Why You Are Probably The Reason Your Business Is Failing
Many factors can be responsible for the failure of your business, and a lot of them involve internal and external factors; problems in the overall system such as lack of organization and discipline, lack of planning, financial constraints, and even your own employees.
Before looking for reasons in your environment, however, it is useful to practice a bit of healthy introspection, and reflect on a few personal factors, because like it or not, your own dear self could be the key reason that your business is not flourishing as well as you would want it to.
Your Heart Isn’t In It
Ask yourself this: Why did you start this business in the first place?
Remember! Starting a business for all the wrong reasons, such as chasing money, authority or fame, is going to get you nowhere. Your business is your baby, so be ready to treat it like one. You need to love it with all your heart, and be as dedicated to it as possible, because you can only bring it to excellence when you give it your full potential, and that is, in turn, only possible when you put your heart and soul into it.
Your Ego Is More Important Than Change
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once famously said, “The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change – “.
Learn to accept the fact that businesses do not function in isolation. The world is constantly changing, and you and your organization need to keep up if you want to avoid getting left behind. Sticking with rigid methods, not learning from your own mistakes, and refusing to adapt to a changing environment will all lead your business to disaster. A successful entrepreneur knows that it is okay if something does not work out if done a certain way. You cannot expect different results by doing the same things.
Micro Management
If you constantly monitor and try to control every move of your employees, chances are that you are a terrible manager.
This is exactly another (rather annoying) habit practiced by entrepreneurs/managers who are resistant to change. They don’t let their employees explore different methods, and end up restricting creativity and innovation, which leads to mediocre and monotonous results, and becomes an obstacle in the path of success.
You Think You Know It All
Know what you do know, as well as what you don’t.
Many entrepreneurs fail at acknowledging that they do not, and cannot, know everything. Lack of proper knowledge, research and observation can lead to a blind business, stumbling in the dark, and very likely to fall. In addition to research, learn from others, look for inspiration, and know your business inside-out.
Overdoing It
Never, ever let your business negatively affect your mental and physical health!
Work hard, but learn to draw the line between doing and overdoing. Give it your full potential, but if you let your physical or mental health suffer in the process, how do you expect to handle your business with the same enthusiasm and strength that is needed to keep it alive and successful? Exercise, eat healthy, and take well-deserved breaks, because if you don’t, you will only end up exhausting yourself and your employees.
Failure To Synergize
Yes, 1+1 CAN equal to 4, 5 or even 100.
No matter how brilliant you are, and how much you are able to handle alone, failure to value the differences among each other will only lead to limitations. Learn to get past these limits; incorporate skills, talents and various inputs from other people, departments etc. and discover results that you couldn’t possibly have achieved by working in isolation. Failure to synergize will only slow down your organization’s success.
You Need To Check Your Work Ethics
Do it right, or don’t do it at all.
There is a reason that business ethics exist. If you don’t value commitment, merit and the difference between the right and the wrong yourself, you will only create problems for yourself and your business by losing the trust of your employees and consumers, and failing to develop and maintain a good reputation. Remember, business ethics start from the top, so in order to run an ethical business, you need to have an ethical mindset yourself.
They Don’t Like You
True leadership goes hand in hand with a likeable personality.
If your employees aren’t happy with you, chances are that you will never be able to bring out the best in them. No one likes a mean boss, and having a friendly, motivated and encouraging personality keeps your employees happy with working for you, and boosts team morale. Make sure they want to stay, not run away at the first opportunity they get.
Failure To Solve Your Own Issues
Don’t wait for others to solve your personal problems; they won’t.
Trust me, your personal issues are your own problems, and if you fail to solve them, you will ultimately let them affect your business. Problems like relationship trouble, anger management, or other such personal issues are your own responsibility, and it is your job to solve them as quickly as possible so that they don’t interfere in your professional life.
Being Hasty
Take one step at a time. You cannot do everything all at once.
The worst thing a business can possibly do is rush into making decisions that it cannot handle at that point. Making unplanned, hasty decisions leads to disastrous consequences at times, and a good entrepreneur is always patient, and understands the fact that a business does not become successful overnight.
In what other ways do you think an Entrepreneur can let his own self become a barrier in the way of his business? Let us know!