IS YOUR BUSINESS STUCK?

"Find something you love to do, and you'll never work a day in your life"

- Harvey MacKay

I am working with a client, that after 30 years of owning his business asked me, “Do you know anyone that would be willing to buy my business?”  Followed by, “I wonder if Starbucks is hiring right now?”.

After a number of years being an entrepreneur and assuming all the challenges of the business, it is hard to become “just an employee”.  I personally know of many business owners that are either: 1– putting their money back into the company; or, 2– taking a minimal salary, of less than $24,000 per year.  When you are making only $24,000 a year, a $60,000 per year job with a regular paycheck and benefits looks very inviting.  But remember one thing . . .  a JOB means . . . . Just Over Broke.

For those of us who haven’t been blessed with the perfect company, perfect employees, perfect customers/clients and a wonderful cash flow, the best option is to undergo an Alignment Process to explore what you really want to do.

Start the Process here:

1-    Write down what you like to do and what you don’t like to do.  The next step is to prioritize what you are really good at and what you not good at. Take a close look at entire list and begin to shift your thinking and actions towards what you want.

2-    Develop and document your ‘dream business’.  Include what you do day-to-day, your dream employees, the ideal product or service, and the vision of this business. Now that you crafted a picture in your mind, the organization starts to take shape and becomes clearer.

3-    Visualize a day in this new company. Document your vision and expand it and turn it into a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). My BHAG is to charter a private jet and load up my golf buddies and spend an entire week playing Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay and Del Monte Golf Course. Everyone should have a BHAG, so what is yours?

4-    Get open and honest feedback from those that you consider your most trusted advisors. Ask these people, “What should I be doing with my business and career?” You may be surprised by their answers. You’re not obligated to follow their advice, but the answers you receive may help you start the self-discovery process and lead you to uncover areas you never considered before.

5-    Know your interests and passions. It is not uncommon for many of my clients to have a vague idea about what interests them but confusion over whether this idea can translate into an actual business.

6-    Do a lot of intensive research.  Start by asking people how they created a unique role for themselves in their business and passion, investigate possibilities on-line to see what businesses are doing that fit with what you like, and research how they are good at doing this.

7-    Lose the negative thinking. Most people already know what they want to achieve and pursue at a deep level. This should be reassuring, but, unfortunately, they believe they don’t know this answer. Don’t be constrained by “should”, “would”, “could”, or “can’t”.  All these words express and reinforce fear or lack of confidence.

8-    Give yourself permission to start thinking outside the box. One client of mine was a full partner at a large law firm, with over 30 years of being the best in an area of law.  His dream was to write books for the needs surrounding the aging “baby boomers”. But first he needed to give himself permission to do something very different from what he had been doing. Although the lawyer had no prior experience writing books, he all the necessary skills and resources to pursue his passion, which became his business.

What you choose to do deeply impacts who you are as a person. It is one of the most personal statements you can make to the world at large. Embarrassment and fear of not meeting others’ expectations are the main culprits keeping people from uncovering their true path. There are no simple or easy answers, but the questions to help you in your journey are relatively simple. What do you really want to do? Why aren’t you doing it?  What is really holding you back? Spend some time examining these issues. And then get unstuck and work at what you love.