Always Thinking With The Bigger Picture
You should never be the smartest person in the room. When you go into a meeting, either with employees, clients, or anybody involved in the financial process, that overriding sense of fear can come into us. Maybe if we think that we talk around the subject, we can bring people around to our way of thinking. But this is betraying proper business sense. If we look at the bigger picture, this brings everything into focus. Yes, there may be a multitude of plates to spin, but by focusing on each plate means that we get very overwhelmed by doing this. Instead, we’ve got to take a step back, and see which ones are going to wobble first. It's a far better way for us to handle the business, rather than worrying what's going to happen next, by looking at the bigger picture, seeing where everything slots in, and making the appropriate decisions, it's a lot less effort, and ultimately, results in much less stress.You Don't Have To Have All The Skills (But You Need To Know Where To Find Them)
Being in charge of a business means knowing how to make the most of your resources. It's all about knowing how everything fits in which links back to the bigger picture. But the big mistake we all make the very outset is thinking we need to learn “every” single skill to keep the business afloat. This is far from the case, and in fact, it can be very distracting. You don't need to be an accountant to cook the books, but because you have had a limited budget at the outset, you reckon that once it's got to a certain point that you may as well still continue to do the accounting as it will save you money. But this is betraying your real focus on the important aspects of the entire business. It's not about conserving money, but it's about using money for the right things that will work in the long run. You can learn an abundance of restaurant accounting tips, or how you can use petty cash to your advantage, as well as understanding where cash injections will really help. These are all handy tools, but we don't have to know them inherently.Cultivating A Mindset For Discovery
When we don't know anything, we get scared. This is anathema to developing a business. The important thing we need in our midst is that sense of play, which highlights a sense of confidence. To create this sort of mindset, we've got to start thinking about taking risks, albeit calculated ones. And when we have other people come on board, we want them to push for new and exciting areas to operate in. The mindset that you cultivate within the business is all dependent on the mindset that you present. This means you have to learn how to take risks. Being risky isn't about throwing caution to the wind every single time, but it is about understanding where you have an opportunity to take a risk. And this all boils down to your working attitude. You can argue that knowing every single thing will mean there is less risk involved, but we can't know everything. Instead, if we learn how to get everything covered 90% of the time, and that the remaining 10% with a question mark hanging over it is where we can pursue new avenues, experiment with our marketing techniques, or learn a new skill that may (or may not) benefit the business, this sense of risk becomes less scary over time.Tweak Your Attitude
In one respect, a lack of experience is a very refreshing thing, even though you might not think it is at the time. If you have an attitude that promotes play and discovery, this gives you an opportunity to blaze your own trail. We are consistently told that we have to follow the rules. But, surely it's better to know the rules first, and then break them? Yes, there are a lot of rules and regulations involved in running a business. And it should be learned how to keep on top of these things, but when all of these metaphorical pincers stifle your ability to expand your business, will you ever progress in the first place, not just in terms of the company, but in terms of your own attitudes?This is why you need to make drastic alterations to your leadership style, how you learn information, and what you bring to the table. Running a business isn't just about making a life for yourself; it's about something you've had a passion for that you think needs to be out there for the masses to consume. But if you stop yourself before making a big decision, or you are second guessing everything, stress and anxiety won't be far behind. It is par for the course that running a business comes with its fair share of stress, but you also want it to be the factor that drives you. Changing your attitude isn't just about the facts you learn, but it's about understanding your innate human abilities to lead people, to generate new ideas, and to see if you are a good fit for the company that you have created.
Experience The Adventure
When we have no idea how to run a business, we can either hit the books or we can fly blind. But if we adopt a combination method, but also see where the business takes us, it becomes an adventure unlike any other. The rules of business are strict and stringent, but if we lose that sense of play, is all the stress worth it? There are fundamental skills we all need to run a business, whether this is networking or having an innate understanding of our product. But also, we should realize that there are things that we can't learn until we do it ourselves, and realize that risk is a big part of it, this can free us up. It's not fear of failure that is stopping us, but fear of ourselves.The greatest piece of advice that any person starting a business could benefit from his, very simply, get out of your own way. It's about the business’ needs, not yours. For all intents and purposes, you are the person in charge of the business. Once you take yourself out of the equation, this can help relieve some of the anxieties associated with running a business, and give you the focus you need.
