Some business owners seek progress, others seek comfort. This leads to 2 very different outcomes:
- The smart business owner seeks progress. They seek the answers they need, from trusted, informed sources and then take the action required. They do the right things, correctly. They grow each year, enjoying measurable progress.
- The struggling business owner seeks comfort. They seek answers to the wrong questions, usually on the cheap, often from people who are ill-informed. They then work hard doing the wrong things and relive the same frustrations, over and over again.
Not me, Jim!
The irony? In my experience, almost everyone who is in that second group refuses to accept it. They will read that description and see it fit people they know, but not themselves. They fail to look at their business objectively and blame outside factors for their results.
They blame the economy for their lack of success, even though others in their industry are booming right now. They blame fee-sensitive prospective clients, without realising THEIR marketing is what attracted them. They blame the tactics of their competitors. They blame cheap imports. In fact, they will blame anything and everything, rather than accept that the success or failure of their business is in their own hands.
In short: Given that we reap what we sow, if we want a better crop we need to sow better seeds. Blaming others puts you into a failure loop and is unlikely to make you any healthier, happier or wealthier.