So what does kryptonite have to do with self-defeating business strategies? After all, you are a SUPER amazing businessperson, network a ton and people seem to love you. You offer great products and services and you consider yourself a SUPER entrepreneur. We all have at least one or two self-defeating business strategies that keeps us from being SUPER every day.
One of the world’s favorite superheroes is Superman. As SUPER and amazing as Superman was, he still had a weakness that made him not so super. This weakness was kryptonite, a little green rock. When he was exposed to it, all of his super-powers would go bye-bye. Luckily there was a way for Superman to fight the effects of the kryptonite. Once encased in a lead container, all of the effects of the kryptonite could no longer affect Superman.
As amazing and SUPER as you are, you too have kryptonite (insert dramatic music here…) that is holding your business back from success. Let’s address three common kryptonite weaknesses you encounter in business and how to put them in a lead box, so you can be SUPER again.
The Most Common Self-Defeating Business Strategies
#1. The Yes Man: You over promise.
Everyone wants to be a hero. The difference between a hero and a zero is delivering what you say you are going to and coming up short in the eyes of the customer. If item “A” is good for you customer then “ABCDEFG” will be even greater for them, so you promise more than you can provide. Did you account for “BCDEFG” in the time you set a side to do “A” to the best of your abilities. Probably not.
The Solution: Promise what you can deliver with time to spare.
Stop trying to fill every minute of your workday with project time. It is un-necessary and stressful. You and your client will be much happier getting a small segment of a project finished early than waiting for larger project to finally get complete.
#2. The DIY: You try and do it yourself.
So you are a one-man show! You can design, print and sell all at once while holding a beverage, talking on the phone and answering emails. But be honest with yourself – are you really good at all of that juggling, or do pretend you are because you think you are actually saving yourself money? You are so use to controlling every and doing everything yourself that you are not looking at the bigger picture.
The Solution: Loosen the Reins
You need to play to your strengths. As much as you like to think you are SUPER at everything, it is just not true. With websites like Fivrr and Craigslist, you can find affordable help. Do the things you are really good at, and get help on the things you are only average at or don’t really like doing.
#3. The Busy Bee: I’m busy so I must be making money.
This is probably one of the BIGGEST kryptonite issues with business owners today. A lot of busyness doesn’t equal a lot of business. Your Internet surfing is not billable. Researching a problem via your email account is not billable either. The shake you enjoyed before lunch, yep not billable either.
The Solution: Schedule work time and playtime.
Use a schedule to plan out your day and document where you are spending your time. This will help to see if your daily activities are making you money or not. As fun as watching YouTube videos are, if they are not on the schedule wait to until they are. Instead of “working late” finish your project during regular business hours and then veg out on the Internet later.
There are a range of reasons you could use to justify ignoring these self-defeating business strategies short term. BUT if put these into a lead box and you can be SUPER again.
Now that I have SUPER simplified these issues and provided the fixes what are you doing to do differently? What self-defeating strategies have been holding you back?
