Don’t believe what you read in those self-improvement books at the airport — there are seven specific steps to becoming a successful businessman.
Fulfilling these seven tasks will make you better at your job, more valuable to your employer, and more wealthy.
1. Gain self-confidence
Being a successful businessman means taking risks. You probably have no regular salary, you have to find your own leads and opportunities, and you’re probably constantly worried about financing. Successful businessmen use their gut instincts when considering new business. These kind of people find a “need” and then convince themselves that they are the only people in the world who can fill it. Success in business is as much a head game as anything.
2. Surround yourself with success
Being successful in business means hiring the right kind of employees and being in the right kind of company. The only way to make sure you bring in top talent is to hire people who are great at what they do and taking small steps to make sure your employees can communicate. Remember that people you like aren’t always the best employees and partners. Be it a novice, someone who you will train, a full-time employee, or a virtual CIO, you need to choose carefuly.
3. Be a genius with money
Some people are born with the ability to make money. Sure, some successful businessmen go the traditional route of raising money (banks, venture capital, etc) but a large number of the most successful men in the world started out with their own cash flow, either from personal accounts or by borrowing cash from their family members. Success in business means focusing on efficiency and overhead. Don’t go for the fancy office furniture and media room — focus your time and your cash on quality products and services.
4. Start a dialog
Most of your marketing is going to be word of mouth — your reputation will draw clients more than advertising. That’s why creating a message for your business and starting a kind of dialog with your target customer is so crucial.
You can’t just focus on sales — marketing is key to success in business. Marketing brings your customers, vendors and your staff together to do business. You can craft your business’ “message” by using direct mail, presentations, giveaways, e-mail marketing, and dozens of other options.
5. Be willing to make mistakes
Insert your own adage, here — if you aren’t making mistakes then you’re doing something wrong. Being active in business means blowing it from tim e to time, so make sure your employees (and you yourself) know that making a mistake is acceptable. The key is to teach your staff to avoid the same mistake in the future, rather than punishing them for one they made in the past.
6. Celebrate success
Too often, the business world is beset by people trying to find fault in others. This is a competitive world you’re in, and your employees and even your bosses are likely to want to blame one another for shortcomings. A great way to avoid any bad blood is to celebrate your business’ success, even the small victories. Having a (work appropriate) relationship with your staff goes a long way to prevent interoffice drama.
7. Love what you do
In the world of business, you take big risks for even bigger potential reward. That means if you love what you do, you’ll be happy even when you don’t succeed one hundred percent. Being passionate about your business can keep you afloat on days when you’d rather stay in bed.
