Personal & Small Business Coaching

To small business entrepreneurs

Small business entrepreneurs have a creative free spirit that is often denied large business employees and managers (who must be more attuned to, and aligned with the in-grained systems, culture and politics of large organisations).

As the founder and director of an engineering business that supplied advanced fire-protection systems for major corporate data-centres, I understand, respect and champion the independence, spirit and 'can-do' attitude of small business owners.

Small business entrepreneurs often start out, as I did, to explore new ways of doing things, of doing things better, and with a strong desire of being their own boss (and for some, of having their "name up in lights"). It's all good - it's all about personal development, freedom, exploration, risk, rewards, stretching and growth.

But perhaps most of all, small business entrepreneurs enjoy testing their intuition, their 'gut-feel' for what will work.

If I had to identify one aspect of running one's own business that is most important it would be the unmatched buzz of testing and relying on our initiative and gut-feelings for how best to do it (running and developing the business, interacting with customers, managing and mentoring employees etc.).

If this at all "speaks to you" then please read on.

There is a down-side to all that delicious freedom and creativity. We can become too single-minded in doing it our way. It can become difficult to listen to others who have gained experience running their own businesses. After all, we started our business to not listen to others, but to explore NEW ways of doing things. No one can do that for you. Nor would we want anyone to show us the way! We want to find our own way.

Finding new ways is good for business, but "re-inventing the wheel" in a competitve market is counter-productive and a waste of time and resources.

In being so single-minded and forthright, we can forget to ask, learn, and to seek easier ways of doing things.

As is explained, many small business entrepreneurs, particularly those in that growth phase beyond a half-dozen or so employees, can struggle with growing the business. And for many who do grow the business, they find they're under more pressure, with less net profit than before.

more soon ...

Steve Pirie
Director
Belief Institute