There are those in this world who dare to dream a dream where there are no boundaries.
There are no obstacles or limitations. The biggest hindrance that they can expect to face on the journey to their dreams is the demons within themselves telling them that they cannot make it. Rather than being disillusioned with the fear of failure, they jump at the situation, both good and bad, in order to create a new opportunity.
Spencer Johnson published the concept in his bestselling book ‘Who moved my cheese?’ Motivating others to deal with change for improving their business goals and dreams, in Australia there are educational outlets; which are providing the same motives through their courses. TAFE courses which can be done online, at college campuses or combined with work placement experiences, be it that of your own or with another company, pushes the educational boundaries for people to leverage knowledge in the pursuit of their business aspirations.
People are taking a pledge within themselves in pursuing their dreams of financial freedom. Regardless of the position where people start in life, a strong educational framework puts the business dreams within reaching distance.
Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech can now extend equality beyond race and towards alleviating the large gaps in financial status and equality, that many people in the world live with each day. And that every person will have the opportunity to become who they want to be, and that they will also do what they want to do with their life. Rather than getting caught up in the rat race working nine to five until retirement; many are opting to take a chance at getting the freedom that they desire by having their own business.
Forbes published an article in 2014 including a survey that stated over 67% of people wanted to start their own business. Statistically, people are opting to attain a lifestyle where they can work in the job that they want, when they want and to earn as much as they want. Only 2% of people achieve this in their lifetime.
So why is it that so many people have their business dreams unfulfilled?
There are a wide range of factors that people don’t consider when they have a business idea and when they begin to implement their business.
Achieve the dream and become an entrepreneur by pursuing your dream business. But first, there are a few things to consider.
Most people’s business ideas only ever remain ideas.
Many people fail to take the first step. Some of them have no idea where to begin; others make a range of excuses as to why they cannot pursue their business idea. And there are many who simply don’t have the courage. To make a business idea happen, the person must take action steps with turning the business dream into reality.
Failure to make smarter decisions.
The decisions that are made in business are crucial to the long-term operations and sustainability of the business. Managing business risk is crucial to not only the business’s survival, but the operations and long-term outlook. The first smart decision that any business owner should make is to get their foundation right at the beginning of their business.
If the business has been operating for some time, then the business needs to put the brakes on growth and organize the business into an operations and sales model that will allow the business to grow quickly and smoothly, with the investment of financial and operational resources. Businesses that don’t adopt these practices may still grow, however, their operations will become chaotic, and they will continue to struggle over the long term.
Taking on a business as a lifestyle rather than focusing on generating income.
A business owner can go into business that shares their passion for that industry and that shares the lifestyle that they are seeking. However, they must not get deterred from the primary objective of entering a business in the first place, and that objective is to make as much money (and profit) as possible. Business owners can make friends with their customers, but your business isn’t a social club. It is all about adding value. And the people who give you the value are your customers; which in turn are providing you with a profitable income.
Not pursuing the need to keep on educating oneself and the staff within the business.
Something that is quite overlooked is the training element within the business. Generally speaking, employees want to receive training that will enhance their skills to be promoted or paid well over the long term. Whether this training is done internally or is provided by the company through external courses, smarter and more efficient staff will yield better profitability, growth and value for the business.
Not taking business risks to pursue high growth strategies.
The fear in taking risks in business can ultimately lead to growth paralysis. Business owners have to take risks in business. However the risks that should be taken need to be smart risks for the business. The ultimate goal is to grow the business as much as possible. There are many people within businesses who don’t know how to go about managing risk. Hence why it is important for them to learn about the different growth strategies that can be applied to the business.
Cautiousness when it comes to hiring staff.
One bad apple can spoil the bunch. Businesses have to be ruthless and merciless when it comes to hiring and firing staff. Businesses tend to forget that people aren’t there to be friends, they are there because they have to earn an income. They are doing what they have to do to earn that income. The staff must offer value to the business either by improving the sales revenue to the business or by providing actions that will see the business become more efficient and reduce costs. If staff members fail to demonstrate these values, they need to seek employment elsewhere. If they aren’t adding value to the business, then they are detrimental to the business.
There’s never been a better time for people to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations. With the accessibility to information, knowledge, case studies and experts that are actually succeeding in business, one can easily follow the model examples of those who have ‘made it’ and create their own success story.
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