So You Want to Run a Business Huh?

JoAnn Corley

I remember when I made the decision to hang out my shingle for the first time as a self employed person starting the business of career coaching.

I sat at my desk and asked myself this question, “Do you have the skills necessary to be a successful entrepreneur.” The answer – no!
I knew I had the heart, desire, and set of skills to provide certain services. But I also knew being a successful business owner took much more than that. 

I thought about the qualities related to that question: discipline, focus, financial management, strategic thinking, marketing and sales. Phew…what a list!

That was in 1998.  It’s now 2010 and as I look back on the years past, I and the business look very different - what a journey it’s been. In many ways, I have grown up as the business has grown and I and it are still growing.

And really, that’s the point.  Owning and running a business puts the owner in a constant state of personal growth if success is to be achieved and continued.

In my twelfth year of business, I’ve become aware of some new abilities I needed to acquire and was reminded of some old and here they are:

1. You’ve got to able to say no, even when it’s really hard.
I think women find it easy to say no to some things and find it hard to say no to others.
When it comes to relationship-orientated things, I think it’s tough for us to say no.  We are very communal and relational both socially and professionally.  To be able to separate that out more and manage that more strategically would be to our benefit in business.  

The key success decision I made this year was not to partner on any more projects for a while, but go it on my own.  I realized I was spending too much time accommodating others needs and that impeded moving my business forward in the ways that it needed to create more success.
That was tough – there is much love and caring involved with my colleagues. 

As communal beings, we must have stronger, strategic boundaries personally and professionally.

…and that brings me to number 2.

2.  Be ruthless with your time – Time is an asset for a business owner.
You can see how point 1 plays into point 2.  Do a time usage assessment both in the context of a day and within a cycle of a month. 

Ask yourself - how much time is devoted to achieving key results for my business?  It might surprise you. 

I did this – it surprised me. Seeing the truth about how I spent my time fueled my determination in effective time management and gave me more of an ability to say no.

3. Be independent of others approval 
 
When it comes to our ideas, our business branding, there is a very fine line between getting help and having and listening to our own voice.

If many of the idea generators throughout history had not held to their own voice in the midst of naysayers, we would not enjoy many of things we just plain take for granted today.

Don’t expect everyone to approve or see what you see. In fact don’t look for approval, seek constructive – educational feedback…it’s essential to know the difference.

4. Be disciplined and patient
 
I heard it once said that it isn’t the most talented that are successful, but those who stick with something the longest. I have seen that played out over the years in many professions.
There are disciplines to running a successful business: for me it’s the discipline of managing money, the discipline of writing, the discipline of marketing smart (the gas that keeps the engine of a company going), the discipline of working a fixed amount of time everyday, and the discipline of feeding and nurturing myself to keep doing what I’m doing.

Hey that’s a good size list. Yes, and I could have named a few more.  I recommend you create a list of the things in which you need to be disciplined in order for your business to be successful…and then make it happen!

The disciplined areas become the foundation on which the business is built – and we all know the necessity of a solid foundation.

I love a new year and the opportunity of assessing and starting fresh, the feeling that it’s time to take it up a notch. 

I hope this article has stirred, challenged and encouraged you to do just that!
To a thriving 2011!

JoAnn Corley

JoAnn Corley is a dynamic, inspiring speaker, trainer, career and management coach. She has a contagious passion and energy for the topics she teaches and has shared that passion with thousands across North America specializing in seminars on Personal Empowerment, Emotional Intelligence, Creative and Innovative Thinking, Effective Management and Leadership, Powerful Communication and Dynamic Team Synergy.

She is also co-author of the book, Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Success, a collaborative effort with some of the top female motivational speakers in North American and hailed by Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame as a must read and the recently released, Wisdom@Work and The 1% Edge.

Ms. Corley utilizes her 20+ years of business experience, expertise in the knowledge of work functions and thousands of hours of human behavior coaching to consult in areas such as organizational design, creative and innovative thinking, management development, and adaptive leadership strategies.

You can connect to JoAnn Corley on her Website at http://www.Joanncorley.com