Survival of the Fittest As your business grows, so do the challenges. Meet them with confidence.
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Like many entrepreneurs, I prefer selling my products to keepingthe books. When I started my business, my dad teased me abouthiring a great accountant. I couldn't justify the expense, so Idug into the financial aspects on my own. While working hard tofind real solutions, I discovered that as long as I was willing toadapt, I could conquer any challenge.
Every entrepreneur faces a similar situation. As your businessgrows, you encounter new responsibilities that are beyond yourcurrent abilities. Fortunately, we entrepreneurs are a specialbreed. Our conviction to succeed drives us to achieve what othersmay see as impossible. We move forward against almost any obstacle,even our personal limitations.
Rather than stopping in your tracks when new challenges appear,conquer them with confidence. To concentrate your attention in theface of new business challenges:
1. Focus. A strong vision, combined with your belief inyourself, enables you to discover solutions that work. Review yourdaily activities each night. If any new areas of responsibilityappear, name them, and record several tactics you can use to moveforward. By focusing on defining the problem and its potentialsolutions, you make the process less intimidating.
2. Collect information that suggests new approaches. Bylooking at a challenge through others' eyes, you can discoveralternative solutions that you'll enjoy implementing. Askexperts and other entrepreneurs to show you their secrets for howto accomplish your goal. Invite and encourage them to offersolutions. Ask tough questions about any assumptions they make, anddiscover the action steps that will help you enjoy your newresponsibilities.
3. Establish unique systems that work for you. Updateyour plan with steps that point you toward your end goal. Financialsoftware frustrated me, so I developed an Excel-based system that Icould easily update. It's not traditional, but now it'seasy for me to track my income and expenses.
4. Learn and adapt. Strong-willed entrepreneurs oftenpower around a challenge rather than facing it. Instead, reviewyour processes biweekly, uncover any new challenges, and reviseyour steps to success to address them. Find and use shortcuts thatwill make your work even more enjoyable! For instance, I added anarea to the income section of my financial spreadsheet to track theissuance and payment of invoices. Tracking my accounts receivableis now much easier.
When adaptation is a natural part of your business growth, yourresistance diminishes. Trust your judgment, and enjoy the processof creating the steps to success as much as the outcome itself. Beon the lookout for the areas of your business that aren'tworking, and have the courage to accept them. Persistently developunique remedies, and move forward with confidence.
Editor's note: Looking for our "Countdown toStartup" series? We've compiled it into one easy-to-usefeature. Click hereto read it.
Speaker and consultant Romanus Wolter, aka "The Kick StartGuy," is author of Kick Start Your Dream Business.
