Last week we talked about creating a business and five key steps on how to do just that. This week we are going to talk about building a business. The focus here is about laying the foundation for your business. Making sure that you have four solid legs to stand on, if you will.
See, in my opinion, creating a business is the easy part. But building it takes a lot of work.
Figure it out.
What’s your strategy? How you are going to reach your target clients and generate sales? How you are going to reach the goals you have set? See a lot of times small business owners don’t take the time to figure out how they are going to accomplish their goals of building a successful business. You have to factor in challenges as well as resources. Think about building a house – a builder doesn’t just go out and buy the materials and then start building. He creates a plan on the best places to build the house so that the foundation doesn’t crumble, he creates the design plans on how the house will look, and then he finds the right people to do the work and build an amazing house. It’s the same with a business. You have to sit and figure and plan every possible detail out to ensure that your business will be able to survive. This includes finance and marketing efforts as well. Who will you serve and how? How can you find them? What types of products will you offer? What does it take to create them? Expand on every detail at this level, because this will allow you to see if your idea is truly viable or if you need to re-group and start over.
You can’t do it alone.
Always remember that you can’t build a business by yourself. You need a support system. People who have your back and your company’s best interest at heart. As I mentioned above, you need a good strategy. And a good strategy is not just about your goals, it’s also about the people you align yourself with that will help you get to where you are trying to go. Using that same example of building a house – as the contractor are you doing the plumbing, the electrical, the drywall and managing the project? Not at all. And if you are you need to stop right now!! You can’t possibly build a business if you are constantly working in your business. How can you effectively manage the job if you are working on the job? Hire and outsource everything that doesn’t involve getting more business in the door.
Take action.
Now that you have come up with your strategy and the people who will help you get there, it’s time to take action. Remember a plan without action is just a dream. Go out and do what you said you are going do. Don’t just make the plan and then sit around and wait for the perfect time to launch because if you do it will never come. Grab you determination, confidence and focus and go for it!
Share your success and learning experiences below. I would love to hear from you.
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Image Lettering by Gyongy Laky; Photographed by Dwight Eschliman
