Daily Operations of a new business are a full time job on their own, but when you are a founder and president of your own company you know that you need to keep the lamp lit at both ends if you want to break up and out of the start up phase. It's very easy to get tunnel vision and begin to focus on bank statements, employee schedules, inventory, production schedules, cleaning, and the dreaded tax preparation but what happens if you are so focused on the daily operations end of your business and being "in" business you forget to be heard to "grow" your business.
As of mom the closest thing in real life that I can compare it to is being knee deep in the baby phase with your child. As an attentive parent you are focused on diapers, feedings, washing and drying baby clothes, catching sleep whenever possible, so much so that you begin to forget some of the bigger picture tasks. You reach for creamer for your morning coffee and realize you meant to go grocery shopping days ago, you try to use your debit card to buy gas and realize you forgot to deposit your spouses paycheck, and then you remember about the amazing preschool you found through a friend of a friend but you forgot to call and its already full three years out.
Sometimes when you're building a new business or brand you can be entrapped in the daily grind mechanics of the task that you forget to step out of the trenches and remember why you are doing this in the first place. You began this venture to ultimately grow an idea into a dream. We all think big, its just that our perspective on how big is big varies from one individual to the next. When you're in business make sure you keep yourself focused on your end goal and be aware that each and every day you are going to need to take baby steps towards achieving that goal you set out to accomplish.
I say baby steps because it's really about a consistent steady action forward that will bring your closer to your dream every day. It's also more manageable to say to yourself that I need to do one of the following things to make it happen: a blog entry, an email to a local newspaper, asking 10 friends to like your facebook page, co-branding with another's website, sponsoring a community event and then helping to get the word out, sending a monthly e-zine, or even just putting a new flowered pot outside of your retail location. These small manageable tasks all scream you are "in" business and taking steps towards reaching your goal whatever that may be.
I found myself caught up in tunnel vision many times and quickly fell into the dismal deep dark hole of what I know as bookkeeping. YUCK - it's necessary but zapped my creativity and many a day derailed me from making things happen.
So as you are bubbling with excitement that you are finally attacking your lifelong dream and going to be "in" business for yourself remember not to let yourself forget that you are in it to win it and always remember that you need to be heard! If it's not your thing and you are more of a daily operations person than find someone who loves to get the word out and can't keep a good story to themselves, someone like me!
TRG-northeast
Jennifer Houghton
Tyler Ryan Group
207-450-8441
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