“This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind…let it be something good.”  

-Author Unknown- (but brilliant) 

Where Should You be Focusing Your Attention as A Business Owner?

Michael Masterson, multimillionaire entrepreneur and author of Ready, Fire, Aim says that every entrepreneurial business requires four personalities at the helm, regardless of the stage of growth the firm is in:

1. A seller: someone to market and sell the product
2. An improver: someone to improve the product
3. An organizer: someone to make sure things flow smoothly
4. A pusher: someone to get people to do what they are supposed to do

When your business is small or just starting out, it’s important for you to fulfill all of these roles, but as your business grows, you’ll eventually find others to handle them, especially the ones you don’t like to do or lack the skills for.

Most experts like Peter Drucker suggest that to be a good leader, you need to be the organizer. That may be true for Fortune 500 companies, but in a small business Michael Masterson suggests you focus on the most important job of the entrepreneur, a role you should not give up; that is to be in charge of marketing your products.

Having grown several successful businesses, I agree with him. I always maintain responsibility for the marketing and selling function of the business. That doesn’t mean I have to be the only sales person, but I have to be the person who directs the sales and marketing of the organization.

Michael Masterson suggests that until the business hits approximately $10,000,000 in revenue, the priorities should be:

1. Selling
2. Pushing to make sales
3. Improving products and sales
4. Organizing.

Where are you focusing your time? Is it having the desired effect? If not do you have the skill needed?

 If not, it’s probably a good time to be looking for help in acquiring the skills you need, if you want to grow the kind of business you dreamed of when you were starting out.

Warren Buffet says; “Someone is sitting in the shade today,  because they planted a tree 35 years ago.”  So when is the best time to invest in yourself?

Many people know they need to do this, but put off making the decision, hoping for better results, but not doing what’s necessary to get them. If you want to be “sitting in the shade” sometime in the future, you’d do well to invest now.

In the next few weeks, my team and I will be launching a new program designed to give you those skills.

We asked our customers and prospects what they most needed to learn about growing their business and we acted on the results. In approximately 2 weeks, I’ll announce the program and give you all the details. There will be a limited number of slots available, so when the program is announced act quickly or you’ll miss out.

In the mean time, I still want to know what you are most interested in learning. Just hit reply and give us the details.