A colleague of mine had an interesting experience recently.
She is a stay-at-home mom with an online business. With all of her responsibilities, she was devoting maybe a day a week to her business. But she thought she was doing what it took to run a business. In fact, she loved to boast about her business and how exciting it all was. She spent more time playing tennis than on her business.
Her goal has been to get the business up to $250,000 in revenues, and it isn’t even close.
Well, recently, she got some tough coaching about the fact that there is a difference between wanting to have a successful business and actually doing what it takes to have a successful business. In her case, she has a great foundation to build her business, but need to find a way to put in the time. Her competitors are working full time or more on their businesses, so for her to have her business do well, she needs to do the same.
As it happens, she applied for and recently won a contest recently with a major company. The company is giving her business publicity, a free redesign of her website, and some consulting.
Now, inspired that a major company has faith in her, she has become intensely focused on the business. She is putting her all into it and has somehow made it a priority compared to tennis. When it comes time for childcare, she now meets with her business partner regularly to share time watching the kids and making sales calls.
She figured out that running a business takes intensity and commitment.
She’s not so different than many so-called entrepreneurs. Lots of people love the idea of having a business, but aren’t willing to do what it takes to succeed.
Are you intense, committed, and focused enough on your business? Are you doing what it takes?
If not, stop kidding yourself.
Andrew Neitlich
