By Steve Tobak
Life is great when you can just kick back, relax, take one day at a time, and let the chips fall as they may. In business, that almost never works. In business, if you want anything good to happen, you pretty much have to make it happen.
Sure, luck is a factor, but you can't count on it. Besides, successful business owners make their own luck by constantly seeking to improve their situation. They know that day-to-day inertia, the status quo, is the enemy of business.
In fact, lots of big famous companies were once small businesses just like yours. I bet you didn't know that McDonald's started as a hot dog stand called The Airdrome. Or that Sony began as a radio repair shop. Or that James L. Kraft sold cheese door to door.
One thing's for sure. They didn't become successful by sitting around waiting for good things to happen. They made them happen. Here are seven ways to get you started on that. Find one that resonates with you and give it a try. You never know where it might take you.
Make it a turnaround. We tend to think of turnarounds as bad things when, in reality, they're the first step to better things. When you work too hard just to keep things running, you're not likely to change anything unless it's absolutely necessary. So make it necessary. If you keep putting it off, the only thing that's going to change is that things will keep getting worse.
Ask. You're too close to your business. All business owners are. So ask your employees for new ideas or what you need to do to improve. Ask your customers. Ask your spouse, your kids, your friends. Ask anyone who will tell you and then listen. Don't be defensive and don't take it personally. Just listen with an open mind. How else do expect to learn anything new about your business?
Run the numbers. Lots of business owners just aren't that into business, at least not the financial side of it. They love doing what they do, but numbers and spreadsheets give them a headache. If you're one of those people, what can I say, that's a recipe for disaster. If you're no good with numbers, then hire someone who is. Even if it's just a one-time consultant, I bet you'll be surprised at what you learn.