Networking and connecting in business are super important. Just as in life, you can’t go it alone. It’s said that none of us are islands, but if we were, each of us would form a vast and interconnected archipelago. Bridges and boats would stream traffic between all these islands and that traffic is largely information. If you cut yourself off from this flow of information, either purposely or by mistake, you do so at your own peril.
Why is it so important to make connections with other business owners? This topic of networking and connecting comes up often so why is it so important?
Here’s one reason why. If you don’t, the island next to you is going to make those connections you’re making and the information they provide and use it to his or her advantage. What are am I even talking about? Let me explain in further detail below.
Why You Should Network
Networking is an essential element of every successful business. It provides you with contacts, leads, clients, partners, suppliers, and much more. It will carry your name and your business reputation farther and more efficiently than most advertising will. Most importantly, it is an endless source of profit, ideas, collaboration, and support.
The IFS and the BUTS
If you are networking, you should do more. If you’re not networking, you need to start. If you don’t network, your business will stagnate and die. But why should I do this you might ask? Aren’t people just going to find me online searching for me? After all, I have a website! Ha…so does everyone else!
Networking Tips
When you’re networking you need to keep a couple of important points in mind.
First, every social or professional engagement can provide you with an opportunity to network. There’s often nothing more formal about it than an exchange of information and follow-up connection. Remember, as a business owner you’re always “on the clock”, so to speak. Be ready to take advantage of a potentially lucrative networking situation should the opportunity arise.
Second, when you are networking, treat people naturally, the way you’d want to be treated. Offer no-strings advice. Often solving a problem for free generates more long-term profit than the cost of the advice or service. Also, listen more than you talk. Silence really can be golden when you take the time to hear what another person is saying.
Finally, always remember that honesty is the best policy. Don’t promise something that you cannot produce. Don’t be someone you’re not in order to close a deal. Be yourself and watch those connections grow!
Connections & Business Collaborations
Networking and connecting with other business owners gives you the opportunity to collaborate with others also. You never know what you might teach each other or you might just find someone you can partner up with. Some of the most interesting aspects of your business might be just around the corner. So, remember that when you’re connecting with others.
Today we’re discussing creating focus and endurance in your business. You might ask why you need these two things. Well, if you really want to succeed in your business, this is what it’s going to take.
Endurance
In any activity or endeavor, it is important to build endurance. Endurance can be defined as the ability to focus on the task at hand and bring it successfully to a conclusion. Some call it fortitude, others call it strength or stamina.
No matter what you call it though, endurance is the ability to persevere and get the job done, no matter what. Do you have what it takes?
Usually, when we speak of endurance, we’re referring to physical activity. Yet, endurance is as important in the business world as it is anywhere else.
Focus & Concentration
In business circles, endurance usually takes the form of focus. Instead of physical prowess, it becomes the ability to concentrate successfully on a given task. Focus is a critical skill set for any business owner. Especially in today’s fast-paced world where success often means keeping several equally important balls in the air at one time.
So, how do you focus on multitasking, a situation where, by its very definition, several things are happening at once?
Well, the key to successful focus is attention. When several things are happening simultaneously, you need to concentrate on only one thing at a time. This doesn’t mean that you bring one task to full completion before you start on another.
Rather, you spend just enough time on a given task to take it to the next stage of development. Then you turn your attention to another task.
An Analogy
In some sense, it’s a little like being a mother duck with ducklings. You give your attention to the duckling that is farthest out of line, nudging it forward to where it should be before you turn your attention to the next little duck. Each duckling gets a measure of your focus, but none gets your full attention all the time.
In this way, each task gets moved along in turn, and all are successfully completed in time.
How are you doing with your focus and endurance? Are you doing what is necessary? Or are you finding yourself all over the place and overwhelmed?
Maybe it’s time for you to think about 1×1 mentoring sessions to help you figure the necessary steps to take to decrease your overwhelm. I would love to help you if you are struggling with your focus.
When it comes to survival, we are visual animals. As a species, our eyesight is our most developed sense. We have stereoscopic sightthat can detect a wide variety of colors and shading. Today’s discussion is about Professional Success and Your Vision.
Happiness Is Only A Dream
So getting back to stereoscopic sight, it allows us to see easily see patterns and movement. These combined abilities have allowed us to avoid becoming dinner while trying to get dinner for ourselves. Our vision helped us to physically succeed, and it still does today. So what does that even have to do with Professional Success?
Professional Success
When it comes to professional success, vision is no less important to survival. However, instead of our sense of sight, this vision involves our sense of imagination and possibility. Vision, in the business sense, is really the ability to visualize successful outcomes. It is the ability to imagine positive results. It is, at its heart, the ability to lucidly dream of where you want to go with your business.
Don’t Be Afraid To Dream
As Henry Ford once said, “if you think you can do something or if you think you can’t do something, you’re right”. So, spend a few minutes each day visualizing where exactly you plan on going and you plan on getting there. This is not daydreaming, far from it. There’s no reason why your accomplishments should hold you back. Professional success and your vision are technically everything you desire for your business as you envision it.
Focus On Planning
This is focused development, scheduling, and organization. Plan your day by seeing the optimum outcomes. This is the same process that athletes use to hone their performance. When you imagine yourself succeeding, you are more likely to actually succeed. You will gain rather than lose.
Remember, if you don’t take the time to build your own dreams, someone will hire you to take the time to build theirs. And I don’t think that’s quite what you want for your successful business.
Creativity can be elusive. It’s not something that you can summon at will. But, I certainly wish it would sometimes don’t you? Today we’re discussing how to cultivate your creative muscles to further your business success.
When creativity happens, it strikes like lightning. Like an explosion! Yet, like lightning, it can be maddeningly unpredictable. However, because creativity is an essential element of a successful business mindset, it is necessary to understand the creative process. And how you, the business owner, can cultivate your own creative juices. So how do you do that?
Creativity is all about taking in a lot of influences and letting those influences combine, ferment and morph in your subconscious. Together, they form a sort of mental potting soil where new and different ideas have a chance to germinate and grow. The more things you learn, read, see and hear the more creative soil you are able to produce. Kinda sounds just like gardening, don’t you think?
Why Be Creative?
Be clever, innovative, and definitely think outside the box. As a business owner who wants to be creative, the best thing you can do is get out there in the world and open yourself up to new experiences. Be curious about many different things. It’s very natural to do this.
Develop hobbies.
Challenge yourself.
Do the unexpected.
The more you push your own personal envelope the more you are charging your own creative batteries. When those batteries are charged, it is much more likely that inspiration will strike. Be inspired by what you create.
Creativity Pushes You To Think Outside The Box
What other types of creativity can you think of to become successful? Maybe work on your content for your business. Make pretty graphics in Canva or whatever you use to make graphics. Stretch your imagination and create some unique items for your business.
There are so many things you could do, you just need to try things out. Use your imagination, daydream but most of all, just try different things out.
If you cultivate your creative muscles, you will find yourself energized and enthused to continue creating your successful business.
There is nothing more stifling to success than rigid thinking. Do you have that? Rigid thinking leads to rigid behaviors and rigid behaviors lead to dead ends, blind alleys, and creative cul-de-sacs. Today’s topic is about success in business require flexibility. Do you have an idea of what that even means in business?
Being Complacent
While there is a certain amount of comfort to routine, too much routine can choke off all chances that you will be able to successfully reach your business goals. Why? The answer is very simple.
Resilience And Change
The world, including the business world, is constantly changing. Rigid thinking and rigid behavior, by definition, are resistant to change. Therefore, rigidity, in thought and action, spells obsolescence in the business world.
In today’s world, information is power, money, and control all rolled into one. The fast and free flow of information is what makes this possible. Everything changes quickly and what is a successful formula or a popular product in one cycle can be, and usually is, old news in the next.
The only way to successfully stay on top of this bucking bronco of information and use it to your advantage is to be flexible enough to roll with the changes.
Flexibility
Flexibility is easy to achieve as long as you are not too tied down to any single idea, product, service, or manner of delivery. If you can keep up with changing market conditions through judicious use of the flow of information, you can easily spot new trends. Then you can adopt them successfully, usually before your competitors have had time to act.
No Fear
The only trick is to not fear change and, instead, embrace it. And if changing is the only reality in the business world then, to be successful in that world, change is going to be your reality as well.
