One of the best pieces of business advice I ever received came from my mentor, Mr Jim Rohn. Jim used to say; “start with the end in mind!”
In other words, know where you are going, before you get going.
Here’s the thing: Most small business owners I speak with (and I speak with them every day), have only a fuzzy picture of what they ultimately want to do with their business. Many have no real idea at all! With that lack of clarity, it’s impossible to make the right decisions, as all planning is done in the short or medium-term at best. Moreover, without knowing your destination, how can you even know if you are on course or not?
I have spoken with many consultants and advisers, who have faced ill-health or approached retirement, only to realise that when they stop working, their income will stop too. They exchange their time for money and as such, even if they earn well, once they stop exchanging their time, they stop receiving the money.
Such people have NOT built a business – They simply bought themselves a job!
No matter what stage in the life journey you are at right now, here’s a great question to ask yourself: Am I building something that has value in itself or am I simply employing myself?
You will be amazed how things will change for you, when you have a clear picture of your end game. Decisions that were once hard, will become easy. Questions you have never asked yourself will suddenly come to you and with these questions, you will find answers that will drive you forward, with a purpose.