10 Deadly Small Business Mistakes…. Are You Making Any Of These?

Source: The Small Business Knowledge Base (www.bizmove.com)

These mistakes are common to many entrepreneurs and small business owners. Beware of these deadly mistake:

1. Getting Wedded To An Idea And Sticking With It Too Long

Do not marry a single idea. Remember that ideas are the currency of the entrepreneurs. Play with many ideas and see which ones bring you money and success.

2. No Marketing Plan

A marketing plan creates the kind of attention you need to get in front of the right types of people, companies and others. It is what attracts people to you! There may be as many as 25 ways to market your business at low cost and no cost at all. A good marketing plan implemented effectively, efficiently, elegantly and consistently will eliminate the need for “cold calls”!

3. Not Knowing Your Customers

Changes in your customers’ preferences and your competitors’ products and services can leave you in the dust unless you get to know your customers well, what they want now and will likely want in the future, what their buying patterns are, and how you can be a resource for then even if you do not have the right products or services for them now!

4. Ignoring Your Cash Position

The customers do not respond to even superior products in the timeframe that you think they should. You will need plenty of cash to sustain yourself in the meantime.

5. Ignoring Employees

Motivating, coaching and managing your staff is probably one of your toughest challenges as an entrepreneur or business owner today! Without your patience, persistence and “people skills,” your problems can multiply quickly. Morale, productivity and profits can easily be destroyed!

6. Confusing Likelihood With Reality

The successful entrepreneur lives in a world of likelihood but spends money in the world of reality.

7. No Sales Plan

Without a sales plan, there is no serious way to gauge the financial growth and progress of your business. You need a realistic map for where the sales will come from, how they will come, when they will come and from whom.

8. Being A Lone Ranger

You might the key to everything but you cannot do everything and grow at the same time. Even modest success can overwhelm you unless you hire the right staff and delegate responsibility.

9. No Mastermind

Get an advisory board or a mentor! Sounds crazy for a small operation? But it is not. The board can be family members of friends whom your trust. Ask them to be you board of directors and review your business plans and results with them. Having someone to bounce ideas off and get an objective opinion is very critical.

10. Giving Up

Some of the most successful entrepreneurs failed several time before doing extremely well. So, if you are failing, let it fail and fail fast. Learn and try again. Do not give up. Yet, do not suffer either.

“It is better to have a smaller piece of a large pie than 100% of a failed business”

Sumber Arkib: Buletin Usahawan Nasional Bilangan 6

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