Standing Above The Crowd - Small Business Entrepreneur's Top 10 Playbook to Business Success #6

A Small Business Entrepreneur’s Top 10 Playbook

As a small business entrepreneur for over 20 years and a former professional athlete with a career that spanned about the same amount of time, I've been able to utilize aspects of both those endeavors that have helped enable me to become a successful small business person.

Like a well played game, all businesses will go through their natural cycles of ebbs and flows.  You, as a small business entrepreneur, need to know when to call a timeout, change out your players or when to run another play.  Sports has taught me the value of team play, camaraderie, working towards common goals, learning from your temporary setbacks and the ability to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on going.

If I were to put together a top 10 list of "must haves" whether you’re a startup company or a well-established business, it would go something like this.

# 6: Realize Early on That You Don't Know Everything -

Most business owners find themselves at various stages of their businesses, having to wear a multitude of hats.  That's okay from time to time, but it's also important to keep in mind, that there are probably other people out there who can do a much better job than you can simply because they can bring a different perspective.  Every business owner will find themselves at the early stages of their business for fulfilling just about every role imaginable, be it answering phones, scheduling clients, marketing and/or keeping the books,.... and that's fine from time to time (matter-of-fact it's good to learn every position in your business) but you don't want your business to rely on you having to fill every role.

As soon as you're able, delegate responsibilities to others on your team so that they feel more valuable, and it eases the workload on you.

The article "A Small Business Entrepreneur's Top 10 Playbook" was written and submitted by James Donaldson, president and owner of The Donaldson Clinic www.DonaldsonClinic.com of Mill Creek, Wa.  Established 1990. 

Donaldson is the author of Standing above the Crowd: Success Strategies in Athletics, Business, Community and Life.  For more information go to www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com  and/or contact him at JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com