5 Ways You Might Be Sabotaging Your Small Business

Let me guess…you took one look at the title, and said to yourself, “There is no way I’m doing that!” No entrepreneur, CEO, manager or small business owner would ever knowingly do anything to sabotage his or her own company. But there is some reason why your business isn’t growing. Unfortunately, you can only tread water for a certain time. There isn’t any room to stick with the status quo, and you can’t continue to operate in the present.

You might be quietly sabotaging your small business if you:

Need all the control

One of the biggest reasons you’re pulling your business under the water is your refusal to delegate. Small business owners are notorious for managing every aspect of a company, no matter how important or insignificant the task. You’re a doer, and I respect you for that, but you don’t have to live by the adage, “If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.” Trust me, everything can get out of hand quickly. One of the keys to a successful business is balance. Assign projects and responsibilities to others, and let them work. Hire more employees and outsource assignments to them. It might be more expensive initially to take on the extra staff, but you’ll find you can accomplish so much more, and you won’t go crazy trying to wear too many hats at the same time. Have the confidence to define different business roles in your company.

Aren’t opening new locations

When you feel like you’re ready, you need to expand your reach. Are you ready for a new business facility? The more people you are able to impact on a daily basis, the more potential for customers to give your company a try. How will you accommodate your new employees or equipment? A new custom steel building is the perfect solution for the small business owner in this situation. Steel buildings can be erected in a matter of days or weeks, so it won’t interrupt your business flow and you won’t be away from your customers for an excessive amount of time. With another location, you’ll be able to forge relations with other businesses and become referral partners. You also could get more corporate support by penetrating a new marketing and exposing yourself to fresh clients. Remember, being new is always an effective commodity. At the same time, you can’t expand without clear goals. Without some kind of structure, it’s hard to recognize what growth and nurture it properly.

Blow off planning sessions

There are so many different facets to effective leadership. Don’t ignore strategic planning in the short term or long term. It’s really trendy right now to have fewer meetings to keep productivity up because usually at meetings, the unnecessary is discussed, and a lot of the time is wasted on the unimportant. That doesn’t mean you can’t still have constructive planning sessions inside your new custom steel building. Set attainable short term and long term benchmarks for your company, and follow up to verify they were completed. Looking for a way to monitor all your employees and their tasks? Invest in some kind of customer relationship management systems. Not only can you track your customer interaction, but almost every process and interaction between your team members and your clientele.

Are concerned with new ideas, not innovation

Let’s be honest – some companies capture lightning in a bottle and stumble on the next great idea. Their idea is slowly developed until it’s rolled out to great success. You look at the idea and think, “I could have done that!” But you don’t need to feel that way. Did you know that your ideas don’t matter? What I mean is don’t get all wrapped up in trying to come up with the next big thing. Instead, try to do more of what actually works. Look at what’s making you money, and try to do it better than anyone else can do. Innovation is just as powerful as a new idea.

Refuse to recognize the next move

I know that it’s tough to make a move to the next level. For some, it’s changing the way they operate. For others, it’s expanding to a new custom steel building. Whatever it is, don’t overlook items that need upgrading. If you operate a business that depends on a fleet of trucks, keep investing in those needs to help you survive. Restaurants have to always carry a stock of supplies. Where will you get all the extra space?

There are so many small opportunities to grow. Some you’ll see, others you won’t. I hate to break it to you, but every chance doesn’t come with a guarantee or any kind of indicator that tells you what to do at a given moment. Grasp your true potential and quit trying to sabotage yourself.

Photo courtesy: Kaz Vorpal

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