10 Small Business Tips
You’ll find a diverse range of small businesses and nonprofit organizations at Evolve Workplace. Every one of them is working incredibly hard with limited resources. Entrepreneurs need all the help they can get, so here’s a list of collected wisdom from small businesses.
Do the Work
Brilliant ideas and incredible talent are great. But they only go so far. Consistent effort trumps ideas or talent. A business requires hard work every day, and that will often carry you further than the competition.
Hire Others
It’s tempting as a small business to have that do-it-yourself mindset and save money. But don’t waste your time. Focus on what you’re good at and hire professionals for the rest.Follow Up
It’s incredible how often simply asking again (and again and again) will get the answer you want. Persistence opens doors. Often that non-response isn’t a no, it just means they were busy or distracted. Try again.Build Processes
Running a business is like juggling—it’s easy to drop the ball. So build processes whenever you can to keep things running smoothly. Set calendar reminders for regular tasks, create forms and spreadsheets, document vital work. It will save your sanity and make it easier to pass off the job when your business grows.Quit Something
There are so many aspects to running a business and you literally can’t do it all. It’s OK. Give yourself permission to quit something. Too often we keep adding tasks and heaping on the work, but we rarely scale back.Self Care
It’s time to take the perennial buzzword seriously. Entrepreneurs are known for making too many sacrifices. Often it’s your family and friends that pay the price. Take a break. It’s OK to be flexible, like working late to meet a deadline—but make sure it goes both ways, like taking the next morning off.It’s All About Who You Know
The world runs on connections. That can be great news for extroverts and a nightmare for introverts. But it doesn’t have to be hard. Just remember the power of networking. Forge connections and help people out.Schedule It
Everybody likes to-do lists, especially the satisfaction of checking something off. But for real productivity, put your to-do list items on a calendar. By matching a task with a timeframe you get a better sense of what you can actually accomplish.Know Yourself
You pour your heart and soul into your business, so it’s no surprise that it reflects you. So it’s vital to know your strengths and weaknesses. Lean into your strengths and find ways to manage weaknesses. If you’re an introvert, plan your schedule at the sales conference accordingly.Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Today’s world is so noisy and there’s so much going on that it’s tempting to pull back and communicate less. But all that noise means effective communication is even more important. Clients and customers likely miss messages, so make a practice of over-communicating. Don’t leave them in the dark. Sometimes a simple status update can give a customer peace of mind that you’re on it.
Entrepreneurs are out there doing the work. We welcome them at Evolve Workplace, a coworking space where you can focus and be productive. Take a tour to learn more.