Putting the “You” in Your Business

Putting the “You” in Your Business

Like every small business owner, you’ve done your homework.  You know what to do and how to do it to keep your business going. But, if you’re like most people, you haven’t done your homework about your business’s most important factor—you.
Wait a second—what kind of weird and pointless exercise would that be?  You know what you like and dislike, your history, and your hopes and dreams.  Every time you look in a mirror you see the world’s top authority when it comes to anything about you.  And what does this have to do with running a business, anyway?
Plenty.
You know your obvious strengths and weaknesses, but the subtler ones are harder to pinpoint.  These personal blind spots can hold you back.
Then there’s the issue of why you do what you do.  Can you honestly say that your business is the best choice for your wants and needs, or did you start it for other reasons?  Are you working 15-hour days because that’s the only way you’re going to achieve your goals, or because society says you have to make big money?  The bigger the gap between how you spend your time and how you’d like to spend your time, the bigger the chance that both you and your business aren’t going to thrive.
Most important of all, a poor match between your business and your personal core values will spell trouble in the long run.  Values aren’t like personal issues that you can ignore when your workday begins; they’re a fundamental part of who you are.  If family is your top priority but you spend more time with the guy who runs your website than your children, you might find yourself on the fast track to becoming disillusioned and unmotivated.
Try writing out your top 5 personal values.  Then see how well your business supports those values.
You can do yourself—and your business—a favor by making personal awareness part of your business strategy.  Carol Tuttle’s “It’s Just My Nature: A Guide to Knowing and Living Your True Nature” is a good place to start.
Donna Willon
President Focused Networking Ltd.
I help You Generate More Business Through Networking Relationships,  and Business Coaching
604-328-2290
donna@focusednetworking.com
www.focusednetworking.com