Success In Business Starts With You

If you want to create success in business, knowing yourself plays a key role.

In fact, the level at which you grow yourself greatly affects the growth of your business, and understanding yourself is the first step. This comes down to knowing your strengths and your weaknesses.

How many of you try to manage all phases of your business? You take care of everything and handle just about any task. While it feels great to show your competence and enjoy the sense of pride that comes from doing things your way, it can also be counterproductive. So besides making you tired, conducting a company in this manner can have dire results in the long run, especially if you want your business to thrive. That’s why success in business starts with knowing yourself by knowing what you “CAN DO” and what you “CAN NOT DO”, and how you best serve your company. It’s important to capitalize on your strengths and minimize your weaknesses by realizing there are particular tasks that should be delegated to others. For example, if you are great at selling, then sell. Don’t spend your time doing bookkeeping and other paperwork, which in fact may not be your strong point. Instead, take the time to hire someone, even if they are part time, so that you can be freed up to do what you do best, which is selling. Bottom line to be more effective in business: use your time and energy on matters where you excel while allowing someone else to handle the other duties for you.

Another aspect of knowing yourself in business is understanding what you do for others. This is important if you want to attract more customers. Beyond your job title, what is it exactly that you do for your clients and customers? For example, if you are a financial advisor “you help people grow their money”. Being able to clarify and articulate how you can help others will allow you to better reach your target market. People tend to connect more to what you help them achieve rather than to your specific job title. And speaking to them in this manner generally opens up the dialogue for further communication. This proves to be beneficial when meeting people out in the field and for creating marketing materials. Networking events are a great opportunity to try out this new approach.

Now take this one step further, by honing in on your special qualities…those distinguishable qualities that set you apart from others. What is it exactly that makes you remarkable? In other words, why do people want to do business with YOU instead of someone else? Is it your positive, upbeat personality or is it your amazing follow-through combined with your no-nonsense approach? This is important to understand because it allows you to stand out from everyone else, which is the only way to get noticed in business today. And if you don’t know the answer to this, you might want to ask some of your loyal customers. Gaining this valuable knowledge forms the foundation for marketing yourself and ultimately increasing your customer base.

The first step to all of this requires honesty. Be honest with yourself in order to see the "real you". This gives you the opportunity to put your best self forward. Now go out there and SHINE!