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4 Secrets to Building a Successful, Profitable Business: Secret 1: Laser Focus
There are very simple reasons why some entrepreneurs are more successful than others. Why do some go on to build successful businesses, become multi-millionaires, while others don’t? I’m going to share with you the first of the four secrets I learned from my mentors like Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield, and Brian Tracy. These secrets have become pillars, not just in my business, but also with my mentoring clients. The secrets led me to building and selling a profitable business and if I can do it, anyone can!
In my first business I was like many business owners… technically competent at what I do; devising and implementing health strategies in organisations. Almost four years in and I realised that my business wasn’t growing despite me working harder. I realised that I needed to do something different if I wanted better results.
This is how “Laser Focus” became an absolute part of my daily, weekly, and monthly routine. Laser Focus in knowing exactly what it is you want and knowing your goal. If you don’t have a goal, you can’t know where you’re going.
“The indispensable first step to getting the things you want in life is this: decide what you want”
– BEN STEIN
The Oxford English Dictionary defines focus as “an act of concentrating interest or activity on something.” That something is your goal. What do you want to achieve? When do you want to achieve it? What do you need to do (and give up) to achieve it? Why do you want to reach this goal? These are the essential elements of laser focus.
It’s not always the person with the best qualifications or best products/services that achieve the most success. It can also be the person with laser focus as to what their goal is, knowing what they want, and how they are going to reach it. Don’t forget that you have to be 100% accountable and take responsibility for the success of your goal.
As a trained nurse the one thing I learned was “what gets measured gets done.” You can have the most elaborate business plan in the world, but if you don’t have a measurable goal it’s unlikely you’ll see the success you desire.
Goals need to be specific, measurable, and they must stretch you outside of your comfort zone. Your goals should be constantly changing and elevating you to the next level, but this only happens if you set goals with strong deadlines and measurable actions. For me, I set the goal of building a successful business within a 10 year exit strategy. I aimed to become a leading Workplace Health Service provider, working with National and International companies who employed high trained nurses. I wanted to achieve financial growth and profitability year on year. Through weekly and monthly reviews of my goals I was able to achieve this. Annually I reviewed my plan and set about planning new, bigger goals for the year ahead.
Did I hit roadblocks? Of course, but that is where growth comes from. Roadblocks represented something I needed to change as something I was currently doing wasn’t working as well as it could.
One of the fears I think we all have starting out in business is how to achieve our goals. How will we get there? In my experience it is essential to do two things.
- Set your ultimate goal and then break down the steps required to achieve it. What daily tasks do you need to do in order to prioritise the top five steps of your goal? What weekly and monthly tasks do you need to do to stay on track?
- Understand why you want your goal. Why have you set this as your goal? See what you need to do and who you need to become to achieve it.
Once you have all of these ideas in place you are bound to master the first secret to building a successful, profitable business – laser focus!
About the Author
Name: Anne Marie Graham
Professional Title: Business & Mindset Strategist
Bio: Anne Marie runs Mindset Success Strategies, a Coaching & Training company helping individuals, groups, and companies reach their potential and achieve their personal and professional goals.
Website: www.mindsetsuccessstrategies.com
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