Sunday, November 14, 2010

Why Some Entrepreneurs Fail

Everyone that starts a business knows that there are going to be mistakes at some point in their venture. But there are some mistakes that can be avoided by learning about the problems and how you can provide a solution once you have encountered it. We shall take a look at the top 3 reasons why some entrepreneurs fail miserably in their businesses and how you can avoid these mistakes yourself.

Having No Business Plan

There are a lot of beginner entrepreneurs that forget or fail to write their own business plan before they jump into a venture. Some of them fool themselves that they have all the knowledge they need inside their head while others become overwhelmed about the idea of creating such a troublesome write up. Even though most of the information is stored in their heads, there are still market researches, advertising plans and expenditure/profit analyses that need to be written down.

The solution to this problem and how you can avoid facing a business that has no future is by making use of a basic business template or develop your own to start with. Business plans can be books with plenty of pages or just notes on a piece of paper. Certain software applications can also be used to aid you in creating your business plan and make the process much easier. The entire point of a business plan is to let you visualize how your business can achieve things realistically.

Unnecessary Purchases

Buying a lot of unnecessary supplies for your office is a common mistake why some entrepreneurs fail in running a business. This is also a common habit among entrepreneurs as they always feel the need to be prepared for the arrival of big clients. Although this mistake is smaller than the other 2, this can still turn into a big problem in the future when it comes to calculating the total amount of expenditures and find out that you have burned a lot of finances.

Before you start purchasing anything, make an inventory of the things that you have and the things that you need. Write down scenarios in which you can use the supplies that you are about to buy. There may also be some items that you are going to need, but you should make a research about them before purchasing just to make sure that you are doing the right choice.

Taking Time for Granted

A lot of entrepreneurs take time for granted as they think that they have plenty of it. Just because there is a set amount of time to work does not mean that you are going to dedicate your time on your billable hours. Businesses have invoicing, calls, quotes, marketing and research that still need to be done.

The solution to this is top set a schedule for your office work. You are going to do this yourself unless you already have a secretary that can do it. Many have taken this for granted that is why some entrepreneurs fail. Successful entrepreneurs schedule the first or the last hour of their work in a day returning calls, emails and billing. Figure out the best schedule that will work for you and stick to that.

Developing Trust As a Leader

Developing the trust of others generally involves your inner core and your actions. If you communicate your beliefs and if your actions match your words, associates will trust you.

Certain aspects of appearance and other forms of nonverbal behavior communicate the message that a person can be trusted. Some nonverbal indicators suggest a person of questionable trustworthiness. You can consciously control whether you show some of these indicators of trust and distrust.Smiling frequently suggests authenticity as opposed to smiling constantly, which suggests a cover-up for real feelings.

Flashing brief smiles and other facial expressions such as frowning suggest authenticity. In contrast, prolonged facial expressions suggest a lack of authenticity.

  • Maintaining eye contact without staring sends a signal of trustworthiness.
  • Being well dressed sends a signal of trustworthiness.
  • Maintain a relaxed, easy manner in front of others.
  • Make a point to ask team members more about themselves, not only about work related interests but also about their outside interests.
  • Offer at least one sincere compliment a day.
  • Go a full day listening without interrupting once.
  • Be honest at all times. Honestly can some times cause feelings to be hurt but in the long run honesty is the best policy.
  • Using a friendly, warm gaze helps you appear trustworthy.
  • Share credit generously. When in doubt, share.
  • Admit when you're wrong. No one is perfect. Take accountability for your actions and you will gain respect in the process.
  • Don't forget the easiest strategy of all. Ask team members "How are things going?"

It takes a leader a long time to build trust, yet one brief incident of untrustworthy behavior can destroy trust. Always treat others as you would like to be treated and the rewards can be tremendous. Treat people with mutual respect and you will be recognized as one who they can trust and rely on.