Why be in business?

What’s the point of being in business? Make money? Prove oneself? Be less stressed? A better lifestyle? Not work for a boss anymore? (Work for a madman instead!). Are you in business because you think that you can do it better?

Amazingly, many of the 1000′s of business owners I’ve asked over the years were not really clear why they went in to business in the first place or are so caught up in the day to day busy-ness of their business they have forgotten why they are in business.

Sadly, many business owners have found that they are not making enough money, don’t have the lifestyle they want and have huge amounts of stress in their lives. Even sadder is the fact that many small business owners can see no real solutions for their circumstances.

The fact is that there are answers to every question a business owner has. Indeed I remember only one time in 20 years of consulting that we were not able to walk in to a business and find an answer or a new way of doing things that had a positive effect.

So why be in business?

My answer is simple… “To create the cashflow you need to live the lifestyle you want.” You simply need to decide what your desired lifestyle is. When you’ve done that create a plan to achieve it… And then there are no excuses (no valid ones anyway) for not going and creating it.

A few hints…

• Everything you need to know or understand is written in a book or is on the web. (If you can’t find it contact me)
• Someone else has already successfully done what you are about to do
• The only difference between you and some other successful person is how you use your mind
• You bring about what you think about, what you speak about, what you focus on, what you have feelings about
• Fear, in any of it’s many forms, is normal when change occurs
• Everyone feels fear, especially when they are changing and growing out of their past comfort zone.  It’s pushing through the fear that is the difference between success and mediocrity.

Remember, business is about achieving lifestyle for yourself. Many business owners have businesses that generate money for their lifestyle without them having to be there , and You CAN too. Begin you search and education and don’t stop until you’ve achieved it. Believe me, the journey’s worth it!

Your Anti-Values are at work too!

Everything that we do in life is driven by our personal values. What most people don’t understand is that we have both positive values and negative values or anti-values. For example most people would say that personal integrity or honesty is a genuine driver in their lives and so would set goals and attempt to achieve those goals with integrity and honesty. What few people realize is that they hold negative or anti-values too. Anti-values are often things that many people avoid or move away from – avoiding conflict, rejection or being isolated from others.

If you are a small business owner, take note – if you have any ONE of these anti-values you will find yourself avoiding those tasks that hold these anti-values for you – such as selling, marketing or working as an isolated business owner! Even if you set income or sales goals for your business unless you clean up your anti-values you will subconsciously sabotage yourself to your values and find ways of avoiding conflict, rejection or isolation.

All desire for success is related to our values. Our values are the foundation for our passion, our energy.

So for each of us our “worthy” ideal is founded in our values. If our goals are not aligned with our ideals, which are based on our values, then we will be repeatedly drawn away from any and every goal that we set, no matter how good or how great those goals may be.

Nelson Mandela’s worthy ideal

Here’s Nelson Mandela describing his worthy ideal:

“I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to achieve. But my lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Nelson Mandela: From his speech at his trial in Pretoria, 20 April 1964, which he then quoted on his release in Cape Town, 11 February 1990

What’s your worthy ideal?