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“As a CEO, your job is to make the important decisions. Once you’re a leader, you have to take yourself out of the day-to-day operations, which is easier said than done. That’s how many of us start out 9 – taking care of all of the menial tasks because we can’t afford to hire more employees. Thankfully we now live in a time where technology can handle specific tasks, providing you with the freedom to begin doing big-picture things, which is the key to growth. By focusing on building the largest and most successful organization you can, you ultimately create more benefits and opportunities for yourself, your business, and your employees.
It’s important to remember that you own a business, not a job – and not every expense is damaging. A great business leader understands that some costs are opportunities for growth and expansion, even if they hurt you in the short-term. Once you can free yourself from the burden of overseeing daily operations, you will have the time and space to explore how you can grow your business.”
“Small businesses employ the vast majority of people, and even those who aren’t entrepreneurs can trace their roots back to an enterprising mindset. Entrepreneurs change our world for the better every day by creating jobs and solving both big and small problems. Take a look at how the internet has changed the way people interact, and optimized how quickly we do certain tasks, and consider this – someone came up with that bright idea. The internet may have started as a concept, but it grew into a reality that would eventually change the world.”
“There’s no one way to describe a successful entrepreneur, but there are specific attributes I’ve noticed that appear over and over again in the most successful people. Being an entrepreneur can be very isolating, and there is often very little positive feedback along the way. That’s why I believe it’s essential to remain optimistic, constantly be persistent, and to maintain an attitude of perseverance. In order to be successful you need to have the imagination to come up with the right idea, and then you need to stick by it and believe in what you are doing. It’s a long and difficult road, filled with tough moments that may feel like the end of the line – but if you have faith in yourself, your idea can take you a long way.”
“History is chock-full of innovators that are tough to beat, but, when looking at modern times, there are a few that immediately jump to mind. Tony Robbins is an American entrepreneur that I very much admire – he’s a megalith in the world of business coaching. He climbed his way to the top by teaching the life coaches that work underneath him how to mimic his technique, and by adding them to his workforce he managed to increase his maximum numbers of clients. To this day, Robbins still benefits from the companies with which both he and his team work. I also truly admire Sara Blakely – she is a genius businesswoman who earned her billionaire status as the founder and sole owner of Spanx. She embodies the highly individualistic personality that is extremely valuable in entrepreneurs. Another entrepreneur that I admire very much is Richard Branson. When Branson helped found the Virgin Group, he created a business model so wonderful that it changed the way consumers came to perceive customer service.”
“Bill Gates is another man I admire immensely. He has given so much to all of society, and I’ve always appreciated his insistence on creating your own greatness. Finally, there is the legendary Steve Jobs. Many describe Steve Jobs as tough, uncompromising, and a pain to work with because of his aggressive personality. I believe that these were not character flaws at all, but merely proof of the conviction he held in his ideas. Jobs was known to ask his team members to challenge him and his views, but naturally, he would still push back if they did so. A huge part of what led to his success was that he wasn’t afraid to offend others because he understood that, in order for there to be a free exchange of ideas, there needed to be some level of conflict and variety in opinion.”
“The first thing any person with an idea needs to do is examine it at its core. Is it the kind of idea that could be profitable? No business will be successful unless it offers a product or service for which people will willingly spend money. The next step is to figure out how to get things going – focus on the small but essential tasks first. These tasks should include writing a business plan, calling your credit card companies, forming an LLC in your state, and so on. While they may seem tedious, these are essential tasks that you need to take care of early on in the process.” “The last step is both the most exciting and the most difficult: it’s to take a deep breath and start. Too often, people get everything set up and then get bogged down thinking of all the negative outcomes. Yes, it’s imperative that you are aware of all possibilities and are prepared to face them if the time comes. However, you’ll never know what could happen if you never begin. Step out of your comfort zone and try. Even though you won’t know everything you need to know at that time, you will learn and grow – and so will your business.”
“Rather than recommend specific books, I would suggest reading any books that fall within the categories of self-help, business management, or biographies of successful people. Reading books within these genres will not only teach you valuable information, it will also put you in the right mindset when it comes to approaching your business plan. Once you’ve done this, be sure to extend your readings to topics with which you are not very familiar. For example, if you don’t fully understand finance, begin by reading books that explain the basic concepts. The more knowledgeable you are about anything that can affect a business’s success, the more likely you are to be able to create and apply intelligent solutions to complex problems.”
“Around the time I started Body Details, I had just been accepted into the Psychology masters program at Florida Atlantic University and had been working as a bartender. Recently, I had also started another job at a hair removal company. As a bodybuilder, I was always seeking hair removal treatments at a low cost, and one of the benefits with that job was that I could get it done for free. During that time, a friend of mine contacted me in the hopes of starting a pest control company. I wasn’t very excited about the idea and was searching for different possibilities when it struck me – there were very few laser hair removal centers in our area, and only one local doctor performed tattoo removal procedures.”
“I knew that we had a real possibility of being successful because we’d be able to corner the market in the surrounding area. It’s not that I have an innate passion for hair removal – instead, my friend and I saw this opportunity and capitalized on it. And by doing so, I was able to realize my dream of gaining freedom over my life, and being able to choose what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.”
“The first skill that’s important to have is self-awareness. You need to be able to recognize your weaknesses and strengths. Doing so allows you to easily delegate tasks to others, which is the next skill I’d like to discuss.
Delegation can be very difficult if you are highly self-reliant or independent, and feel like you should be doing it all. Unfortunately, the expectation of managing every single task on your own isn’t realistic. Finding others who can step in when you feel overwhelmed or are not qualified to do the job is of the utmost importance.
Finally, I would say that an eagerness to learn and adapt is the last and most essential skill. If you’re not ready to hire, you need to be able to learn how to manage that task yourself. Additionally, be sure to always stay informed on news that could potentially affect your business. Learning from information as well as experience is essential to becoming a successful business owner.”
“Don’t be married to your business. Be willing to let it go – good times don’t last forever. And neither do bad times for that matter, so if you receive an opportunity to make a profit from selling your business, don’t let it pass you by. So many successful businessmen and women have risen to where they are by selling their companies and starting another. One idea may be suited for the present, but it’s imperative to be open to the next idea. It might be just right for the future.”
“No one really likes this answer, but it’s the only one out there: pitch your idea to every person you know. At some point, you’re going to reach the person who will invest in your company or that will get you in touch with your future investor! Find people who will support your ideas, look for promotion opportunities, and get your name out there. Find your investors, and make sure they can find you too.”
