"There are a lot of things that go into creating success. I don't like to do just the things I like to do. I like to do things that cause the company to succeed. I don't spend a lot of time doing my favorite activities."
--- Michael Dell
Ah, the joys or running a business! You get to call the shots, be the boss, and be the big cheese, the big Kahuna. You also get to choose from a variety of head gear. In other words, wear many hats--- accountant, janitor, delivery person, and receptionist and so on.
Juggling these responsibilities is not only time consuming, but can cause you to lose focus of the direction of the business. You don't have time for time management classes, so how do you keep your eye on the ball while trying to do it all?
"Businesses are made by people. We've proven time and time again that you can have a wonderful shop, and put a bloke in there that's no good, and he'll stuff it up. Put a good bloke in, and it just turns around like that."
--- Gerry Harvey
A priority should be to duplicate you. Cloning is not an option so finding a key person to take over some of the responsibilities of the business should be your first goal. This is the one thing that holds many potentially successful people back because they don't want to let go of some of the daily tasks. There is a distrust so deep rooted that most start-ups remain at the start-up level.
Finding a trustworthy individual to help run the show will take time, but is worth the search. The best way is to let all of your family, friends and associates know about the kind of person you are looking for. Put up notices in your church office, Kiwanis clubs, Rotary networks, etc. Get the word out about the requirements, hours, and pay as well as the type of character you expect.
"My job is to listen to ideas, maybe cook up a few of my own, and make decisions based on what's good for the shareholders and for the company."
--- Philip Knight
The next thing you should focus on is seeking advice from successful business owners. If you don't know of any in your area, go online and seek advice from the many free resources available. Read free articles from SignIndustry.com, Inc.com, Score.org, and many more that offer free newsletters, message boards for exchanging ideas, and even online experts that mentor you through the tough times.
"If you can run the company a bit more collaboratively, you get a better result, because you have more bandwidth and checking and balancing going on."
--- Larry Page
Finally, if you've found the help that you need, make sure that you get them to share their thoughts and ideas about the business. You don't have to use them, but listen to them. They can add valuable insight and help you to direct the company to success. Perhaps it is a family shop; listen to your wife, husband, brothers, sisters, and kids. You can't see all of the angles and they can assist you with the big picture.
"We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals."
--- Stephen Covey
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In the window of a Travel Agency:
Sign on a doctors' office wall in Plano, Texas:
"Emergencies Welcome--- By Appointment"
At a bookstore in Mobile, AL:
"Rare, out-of-print, and nonexistent books"
Have you seen any funny signs lately? Why not share them with the world? Send your comments, suggestions, and hysterical observations to: info@signindustry.com.