It takes a driven individual with an almost unimaginable amount of grit and determination to start and run a small business. I CAN and I WILL is our mantra. However, 100+ hour work weeks, miss-hires, and loads of stress can turn your “I CAN” into “I CANNOT do this any more”! If you have reached this point or see it coming over the horizon, do what Jocko Willink suggests in his book Extreme Ownership – relax, look around, and make a call.
Before you throw in the towel, ask yourself a few questions. Is my business profitable? Is my business sustainable? Does my business have a positive cash flow? If you answer is yes to all three, you might owe it to yourself and your loved ones to FIX IT! Take a day or a weekend and make a list of the things that need to change. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.
- Honest Elimination – Evaluate people, processes, and things. Do any of them need to go? (Seth Godin has a great quote, “Clutter fills the future with the past.”)
- Leverage – You don’t have to solve every problem alone. Use someone or something to help. With the right fulcrum and lever you can move mountains. Leverage is power.
- Personal Evaluation – Many times, the problems we face come from within. Personal evaluation can be difficult; but it is one of the most profitable things anyone can do.
Now, use that entrepreneurial ingenuity to crush that list! Be consistent and always sow the right seeds. You will reap the rewards in time.
Keep pressing toward the mark!
-T. Trucks