Category Archives: Business Management

He Or She Who Hesitates Is Lost: The Price You Pay For Waiting in Business

Modern business is extremely fast paced, especially since the internet has made the barrier to entry so low for most entrepreneurs that almost anyone with a business idea can at least try to make it work. Now, more than ever, it is essential that you move quickly when you have an idea for a business, otherwise you run the risk of seeing your ideas fail and you may lose out on a successful idea. For many things in life it is a good idea to wait, but when it comes to business, waiting is costly and the longer you wait, the worse things will get. There are several drawbacks to putting your ideas on hold.

Competition

Innovative ideaThough you might think that you have the newest and most innovative idea ever, the chances are that there is someone else in the world that is having a similar thought. Because the internet has made the world so small, you are not just competing with people in your local area; you are competing against entrepreneurs all across the globe in most industries. When you see a gap in the market you need to jump on it as soon as you can, because someone else has probably seen the same gap and they may be willing to take the risk before you may your move. In the end, the person who moves first is probably going to be the most successful.

Sales

Though there are some costs that are hard to quantify, waiting to get started on your own business also has some very real costs. Every day that you do not work on your company, you fall further and further behind, and you will have to work that much harder to get to where you want to go. The days that you waste before you start pursuing your dream are days that you are never able to get back and you do not want to look back at your life ten years from now and regret that you did not get your company started earlier because the company is not as big as it could have been if you had only started a little sooner.

Fear

Finally, the longer you wait to get started, the more paralyzed you will become by the fear of starting your own business. You can try as hard as you can to say that the time you spend waiting is time spent developing the courage to move forward, but the reality is that most of the time the waiting allows you to dwell on the negatives so that you talk yourself out of taking the risk. You will never know how successful you can be in your own business until you make the first move, and when you wait you let fear convince you that your ideas do not have merit. This attitude only gets stronger when you see that someone else has entered the market while you were waiting to make your own move. The best tool that you can have to overcome this fear is education, either through courses at a local school or business seminars like eFreedom.

Starting a business is what most Americans want to do, and if you feel like you have what it takes to start a company there are usually very few reasons to wait. There are ways to test your ideas and get your company off the ground without having to quit your regular job or risk the life that you have built for yourself and your family, but you will never know just how good your ideas are until you take the first steps.

I am Nicole Reading and I have owned my own business for the last three years. In 2013 I attended a business seminar and learned some important information that finally convinced me to leave my old job and work for myself full-time.

5 New Year’s Resolutions For The Small Business

Another year has come to a close and it is at this time that we usually take a moment to make a few goals for the coming twelve months. And whilst most of us will do this privately in order to set a few personal targets for 2014, the business owners amongst us may wish to make a few for their companies too.

The business world never stands still and that is why it is important to always try to push things forward by setting relevant goals for the year ahead. Here are a few that any small business owner may look to make.

Finally Get To Grips With Social Media 

Social media is no longer a new phenomenon, yet so many people who are in the position to use it to their advantage are still to unlock its full potential. It may be because they don’t think of themselves as technically minded people or it may be that they don’t see what all the fuss is about, but either way it’s time to take the plunge.

Social media, when used right, can help in all different areas of business and is nowhere near as daunting to use as you may think. There are plenty of resources online to help you out and you really won’t know what you are missing until you give it a try.

Start Networking 

Networking in your local area is a great way to build relationships with other business owners and also spread the word about your company. The power that is has to bring relevant and important sales leads right to your front door is fantastic and it can be very fulfilling, too. By giving up a couple of hours every week you can put yourself in a relevant environment which could really help push your business forward. Networking is definitely something that should be tried before you discount it.

Getting Your Payroll In Order 

There’s no hiding the fact that payroll is one of the least enjoyable areas of any business and one of the more complex things that you have to do from time to time. However, if you have been struggling with getting things done on time and keeping up with new legislation, then perhaps you should make 2014 the year you decide to outsource this area to a professional payroll provide, such as this. Not only will this take a huge weight off your mind, your employees will also benefit from always getting paid in full and on time.

Becoming A Better Boss 

Business resolutions are not just about making the company more successful. They can also be about focussing on how good a boss you are and attempting to get more out of your staff. It’s no secret that people will be willing to work harder for someone that really values them and so this could be the perfect place to start. Work on your management style and try to find the correct balance between professionalism and personality. This could involve becoming a better delegator, giving your employees more one to one interaction or just simply praising them more.

Take Some Time For You 

The chances are that 2013 was a rather busy year and so why not make it a goal to spend more time away from the office in 2014. We all need time to ourselves sometimes and when you are the owner of a business this can seldom present itself. Remember that just because you spend more time on something, it doesn’t mean it will be better and sometimes there’s a need to step back in order to see the bigger picture.

By Chris Mayhew

Chris MayhewChris Mayhew has always been interested in the comings and goings of the business world and has been looking at resolutions business owners could make this year. He would recommend Trace Payroll to anyone looking to get to grips with their payroll in 2014.

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