Successful business is - for me at least - about doing business towards your ideal company. And that ideal is different for everyone. One entrepreneur is happy with a 40-hour week, the other wants to work 3 days a week. In short, dream, dare and undertake how you would like to undertake.
Successful business is believing in abundance instead of shortage. It is believing that there is enough space for every entrepreneur to do his or her thing and be meaningful to the other.
Successful business is letting go of control and fears. Dare to go confidently towards what you have in mind.
Read more: linkedin - shlomo rechnitz
You make decisions out of fear and these are usually not the best decisions for the growth of your business. You postpone your business growth.
You drop the price because you constantly compare yourself to the other and you don't want to fall by the wayside. Your turnover drops.
You suffer from copycat behavior where you copy your competitor and lose authenticity and customers see through this.
1. Don't watch what others are doing. Choose what and how you prefer to do business.
2. Listen to your customer's wishes, desires, frustrations and needs and respond smartly to them.
3. Be visible and express yourself without false modesty.
4. When it comes to services (with products), you can easily distinguish yourself in a busy market.
5. Refer customers yourself. By giving first things come back without expecting it.
6. Work harder on yourself than you do on your business. This is how your confidence grows. The less self-confidence you have, the louder scarcity thinking screams.
7. Find your unique place in the market. Authenticity plays a major role here. Emphasize this authenticity even more.
That is why I interviewed 3 marketeers. 3 men, 3 customers with their unique way how they put their company into the world with heart and soul and further expand it.
Maarten: I can familiarize myself with a customer very quickly. Professional knowledge, empathy and passion help me do better business.
Nik: Authenticity and empathy, that's what my clients say and what I find important.
Frank: Really want to help your customer and enjoy your customer's success thanks to your help. In addition, perseverance is a must.
Maarten: There is much more to it than marketing during business. Mapping out a long-term strategy, your marketing, HR, finances, customer projects,... I also have a family and want to have enough free time. Finding this balance is sometimes a challenge for a company in its growth phase.
Nik: Investing in a new project of which the outcome is unknown is quite challenging, also daring to say 'no'.
Frank: Always getting to know new sectors and fully tuning into the sector.
Maarten: Quitting my well-paid job to become self-employed full-time was quite exciting. I started with 0 clients and you need perseverance.
Nik: I found firing an employee extremely difficult.
Frank: To do or not to do, that is the question. When I became self-employed, I had a wonderful job as an employee with a top salary. I decided to become self-employed and took over a company and sold my house and left a job security with a beautiful salary behind me.
A second difficult decision was when I had to stop a business because all attempts to achieve commercial success had been exhausted. I had worked hard for five years and invested a lot of money.
Maarten : It was quite tough during the start-up. Starting from scratch and growing into a thriving company is a growth process. I worked incredibly hard and it was not nice if the working hours were not in proportion to the turnover.
Nik : The incredibly fast evolution of the digital world. Looking ahead is almost impossible and you don't want to be on the wrong train.
Frank : I don't really lie awake anymore. For the problems now I look for a smart solution.
Maarten : Sports people such as cyclists, triathletes, paralympic athletes,... and entrepreneurs who have also built a business from scratch. I have a lot of respect for every athlete, entrepreneur or freelancer who goes for his or her dream.
Nik : As an entrepreneur, Simon Sinek with his why-how-what theory and Dan Pallotta (American fundraiser), each through a captivating Ted talk, have had a decisive impact on the way we work today.
Frank : "Always get up even after setbacks and learn from your mistakes" is the quote that continues to inspire.
Maarten : I started as a freelancer doing what I love to do most and without first checking whether there was a market for it. I think it's great that a full-fledged company has grown out of that.
Nik : When you surprise a customer with a new strategic insight or make them overjoyed with a baseline or a slogan that they have been looking for for a long time.
Frank : Entrepreneurship in itself and working towards results: Working together, respecting loyalty and enjoying it.
Maarten : It's nice to earn a living by exercising your passion. That gives a boost to your self-confidence and personality through everything I've learned, the fascinating people, the realized projects,... As a salaried employee I would have been very unhappy. Starting your own company was simply the only option...
Nik : What I have learned over the years is that you cannot change the world on your own, that working together with others is necessary and enriching.
Frank : I have become a little more careful due to certain setbacks. I am proud of my successes and am still learning every day. I like to test my business with other entrepreneurs.
Maarten : From my father: even when things are going well, keep making time for prospecting. From Sabine: the difference between 'working on your company' and 'working in your company'.
Nik : Reward yourself too and don't just look at the half-empty glass.
Frank : Dare to stop a business after a lot of lost energy and investments.
Maarten : Dare to invest: In offices, software, good partnerships, business coaching with Sabine, marketing,... In the past I would have been shocked by the amounts I invest now and therefore not done it. Now I ask myself: does my company need this to achieve its long-term goals? Not investing keeps your company unnecessarily small. Our turnover this year is 50% higher than last year.
Nik : That taking enough time off and letting go gives room to grow.
Frank : Stop for 1 day every week and think about your business. And make time every year to question and adjust your business strategy.
Read on to the end because their answers are very inspiring!
