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Over the years I have had several business owners contact me at the point where they are ready to throw in the towel. Overwhelmed with exhaustion from trying to make their business profitable and less stressful to survive another year. They know they have a successful product or service but have not been taught how to cost their business. A product or services is only the beginning of costing a company. It does not include overhead, employee insurances, errors and omissions, or any other "whoops" that come along. By the time they find out they have sold their product or service short they are usually in financial trouble and are seeking help to figure it out.
When I meet with business owners in this situation it is tense, emotional, and many times not ideal for either of us. My first goal is to attempt to encourage them by asking them "How do you eat an elephant?" They usually look at me like I have gone crazy and maybe they have hired the wrong person to help. Then I explain to them by seeing the "elephant" as a whole is overwhelming and way more than any person can eat. If they break down the elephant into bite size pieces then it is easier to eat, so that is what we do. The beginning is crazy, it becomes emotional very quickly because trying to show a business owner, who loves what they do, a different way can have the affect that they don't know what they are doing or that they are failing. That is the furthest fact from the truth, you can take all of the owners expertise for the function and building of their product or services and refine it so they become the best business in their field.
Failure is only achieved when you stop trying to be successful. Keep on your journey and instead of giving up, get help in the areas that you are weak. If you are strong in customer service and weak in administrative service, hire someone who is strong in administrative services so they compliment you! And.....Continue to eat your "elephant" one bite at a time until you are finished.
When I meet with business owners in this situation it is tense, emotional, and many times not ideal for either of us. My first goal is to attempt to encourage them by asking them "How do you eat an elephant?" They usually look at me like I have gone crazy and maybe they have hired the wrong person to help. Then I explain to them by seeing the "elephant" as a whole is overwhelming and way more than any person can eat. If they break down the elephant into bite size pieces then it is easier to eat, so that is what we do. The beginning is crazy, it becomes emotional very quickly because trying to show a business owner, who loves what they do, a different way can have the affect that they don't know what they are doing or that they are failing. That is the furthest fact from the truth, you can take all of the owners expertise for the function and building of their product or services and refine it so they become the best business in their field.
Failure is only achieved when you stop trying to be successful. Keep on your journey and instead of giving up, get help in the areas that you are weak. If you are strong in customer service and weak in administrative service, hire someone who is strong in administrative services so they compliment you! And.....Continue to eat your "elephant" one bite at a time until you are finished.