I saw a similar title for an article the other day and it made me pause.
It’s a great question, don’t you think?
I started thinking, what does that mean for business owners like ourselves and companies that want to make a difference.
It starts with you – how does your business affect you on a daily, monthly and yearly basis. If you can’t evaluate that don’t go any further until you can be honest here. It always starts with you and you hold the key to move forward.
How much change has there been in the last 6 months in your business?
How about with you? Your intimate relationship? Your children? Family?
Friends? Remember the personal is the professional and the professional is the personal.
Take an inventory here and decide if the positives outweigh the challenges.
If not, do something about it. Find the strategies you need and the mental model frameworks that will allow you to be open to change.
Serve your clients. Those words are often said to business owners. But what does that actually mean. How have your clients been impacted by your business?
What are they getting from your services or products? How do you measure the outcomes they get from you? How long do they stay with you? Are you able to articulate the above in your message and copy?
Take ownership. Evaluate how you do or not take responsibility for your company’s impact in all areas. Taking responsibility for your life and business truly allows you to review your business from a different lens.
Be honest with yourself here. It’s important.
Embrace strategic partnerships. Cast a wider net for you and your business. These are not just clients and your colleagues. Go outside your industry and make great alliances.
This will help you to become more creative and innovative.
By doing so, you have the ability to sustain your business for a longer period of time and make it easier for you to adapt to changing environments.
Work on your business. Have a vision for yourself, your business and your lifestyle. Then think even bigger and ask – what’s the quantum impact that I can have that’s bigger than myself and business?
Be willing to be uncomfortable with opportunities that don’t look like opportunities and step in from a strategic lens.
All this sounds like tough work. And it is.
One thing makes it easier – purpose.
When you know why your business exists and that purpose reflects your values, the world is better with your business in it.