The unfortunate reality is that most small business owners end up becoming slaves to their own businesses. Strangely enough, there are a few so-called business gurus who even encourage this thinking. This simply isn’t how you’re supposed to manage your business, lest you burn out and end up shutting it out down altogether. The point of putting up a business is to get away from the 9 to 5, and not to create a 24/7 source of headache for yourself. That being said, what is the ideal entrepreneurial mindset for business success?
1. Start from the bottom. Wherever you are in your business right now, whether you’ve been in the industry for a pretty long time or just starting out, I’d recommend that you get back to the start—philosophically, that is. What would you want your business to be about? How do you want your customers or clients to remember your product or service by?
2. Take a look at real life examples. Whether you hate it or love it, you can’t deny that Starbucks has a solidified business image that some companies can only dream of having. Starbucks managed to stay true to its mission of expanding the economy of coffee growers all over the world—a message that has an unquestionable appeal to its customers.
3. Consider your own business. Now take a look at your business. Is there a message behind your business, apart from selling your products or offering your services? Perhaps you can consider adopting a new perspective: something that your business can live through and demonstrate through its business practices. It can be something as mainstream as using green practices in manufacturing your product.
4. Spread that message. When doing so, it’s not so much to market your business alone, but also to inspire your customers and clients to do the same. You’ll be sending a clear message that you’re not just a company that focuses on expanding its bottomline; you’re also doing your small part in making the world a better place. No doubt it would be more inspiring to buy from a company that advocates this message, than a company that’s merely out to get your money, don’t you think?