Happy, Healthy and
Productive
Who's in charge
of You?
When this writer sold his
business, he knew that he was in for a number of changes in his
life.
After all, I was a fourth generation
business owner that had only known working in a family owned business.
Surely, as I went about enacting a career change, I would experience
situations that would be substantially different from the tradition
that I had grown accustomed to. These were traditions that people
in retail, whether they be owners or managers, are well aware of.
My expectations of change were
fulfilled. However, after having been away from "frontline" retailing
for a while, I now know I should have experienced more of the
upside of business. From my experiences, and the many business owners
I have had conversations with in the past two years, I want to
share with you these ideas that should be so important to each
of us. It is these ideas that will assist owners in being more profitable, as well as healthy -physically and mentally.
Decide where you are going - Look at more than the sales goals for the next month or year.
Look at what you want personally for this month, this year, and
where you want to be five years from now.
Work hard and play hard -
Every successful business owner works very hard, probably too hard.
For many, taking a day off and doing absolutely nothing
would be very hard. Give it a try. It will be great for your business,
your family, and your physical and mental health. You will also
find which of your employees should be allowed to manage your business
in your absence.
Establish written goals -
There should be goals that are difficult to achieve as well as
easy goals in which you can feel "the thrill of victory".
Goals, both personal and business, should be written and posted
in a place for you to see each day. Another important part of
the goals is that they also have written time lines for their
implementation or completion.
Have close advisors -
The word friend should be able to describe several people that
you can talk to intimately about your business and your personal
life. These folks could double as accountants, doctors, lawyers,
spiritual leaders, and customers. Make sure that you spend time
with each of these individuals. Let them hear the positives as
well as the negatives.
Push forward -
One of the worst feelings is to go home and think nothing has
been accomplished in your business during the day. Part of technique
to defeat this is to examine the tasks that you are performing
and determine which of them could be accomplished by someone else.
An old definition of management
states that if you are doing something that could be handled by
a subordinate, then you are not managing.
Take a notepad and keep
track of how much time is spent with others in conversation. For
most of us, this will be too much time wasted, and from there we
go home feeling that nothing has been accomplished. Don't procrastinate.
From my experiences, there were times where decisions were made
for me because the time frame to make a decision had expired. For,
not to decide is to decide.
This second suggestion may appear
to be a contradiction. Unless there is a financial advantage, make
a decision at the last possible minute. You may never know when
additional information may expose itself that will affect your decision.
Have one calendar -
Using one calendar, denote all of your personal and business schedule.
There is great value in utilizing a "Day Timer" or smart phone application to schedule your day. Having a "to do" list
provides you with a feeling of accomplishment as you mark off
the items as they are completed. Having the list also allows you
to "multitask" as you go through the day. While you
are driving to the accountant's office, you can stop by the cleaners,
shoe repair, and the book store to pickup that special ordered book.
Capitalize on you moods -
We all experience days in which everything goes our way, just
as we experience days where we wonder why we are in this business.
By making a point to always be aware of our personal moods, you
will know when to press forward or when to slow down.
If you
are experiencing one of those off days, there are two points that
you should always remember. As retailers, many of us seem to have
the habit of seeing the glass as being half empty, or the traffic
light as being a stop light. Remember, it is your positive attitude
that allowed you to achieve the level of manager or owner.
Secondly,
no matter the situation, you will look at it differently tomorrow.
Take the moment to regroup and approach the situation then. In
this situation, today is definitely not the time to handle situations
with your personnel.
Likewise, capitalize on your
positive days. Get the most of the days when you feel that nothing
is beyond your capability. There are probably some of the projects
that have been hanging around that you can complete and wipe from
your "to
do" list.
Celebrate -
In my business, my employees knew we had accomplished a team goal
even before it was announced. Just like the professional football
players when they scored a touchdown or intercepted a pass, I
had my own version of a victory dance. I would go through the
same motions when I achieved a personal goal, or received a confirmation
of an order that I had worked so hard to earn.
Today, I go through
the same actions when I receive confirmation of a seminar engagement.
It is my way of celebrating, and rewarding myself for hard work.
Make sure that you have your own way of celebrating.
Take care of yourself -
You are the most valuable asset of your business. Watch your health,
both physically and mentally. If you have ever been seriously
ill, you know that you have little concern for your business when
you are concerned about yourself.
Also, take care of yourself
financially. Too often, I have visited with the business owner
that is paying himself too little, or not paying himself the appropriate
rent for the building he owns that his business occupies.
This
is not to suggest you bankrupt your business to take care of
yourself, but that you have reasonable financial expectations of
your two most valuable assets - your time, and for those that own
the business, your capital.
All of this from someone that
has been there, and wishes to share with those that deserve the
best - independent businesses.
