It can be easy to compare ourselves with others seemingly ten steps ahead in business, or to make the mistake of believing success came quickly or easily. In fact, many entrepreneurs will spend years learning from mistakes before solidifying and successfully executing a winning idea. What we don’t always see are the day-to-day steps of consistently working at an idea and on personal development to achieve said success.
Entrepreneurs’ Organisation in Australia, the local arm of the global peer-to-peer entrepreneur community which operates in 60 countries, asked members what the secrets to their business success are. The everyday steps that collectively make the biggest leaps for business owners. This is what they said.
“Read as many books as you can”: Shannon Semenikow, CEO and Founder of Education and Migration Services Australia and Entrepreneurs’ Organization QLD President
A book recommendation is like gold when it comes from the right person. The invaluable insights gleaned from others in business, that when put in practice can help you upgrade your everyday habits and significantly impact you are worth their weight in gold. There are even books that have summarised the best takes from the best business books if you’re feeling time-poor or need a starting point.
“66 per cent awesome is better than 100 per cent perfect”: Annika Launay, Co-Founder and Managing Director of PDPR Marketing and Creative, member of Entrepreneurs’ Organisation in Queensland and EO Regional Communications Expert APAC
It is harder said than done for those of us with somewhat obsessive attention to detail! There are so many instances in business and in life when you hold back on projects or plans because you don’t feel they are 100 per cent perfect. What are you actually waiting for? Be bold! Put it out to the universe and see what happens. If you wait for perfectionism, chances are the opportunity will pass you by.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others”: Kym Huynh, Founder of Executive Assistant Institute and former EO Melbourne President
Success for me is measured by the quality and depth of relationships I have with others.
While networking is often recommended for the sake of growing a business, networking – or simply creating mutually beneficial connections is essential for every aspect of living a fulfilling life. Connections from a personal perspective as well as business – potential collaborators, those offering new perspectives, friendships – we should all be nurturing those relationships that are bringing the best energy to our lives, by not asking what we can take but what we can offer.
“Understand your unique selling proposition”: Jahan Kalanter TEDx Speaker, Lawyer and Entrepreneurs’ Organisation member
Make sure that understand your unique selling proposition. What is it that is truly unique about your business? How do you then double down on that? To have a valuable business, you need to have a clear value proposition. No one is running a business exactly the way you will run a business. Who you are, how you view the world and your approach to everything you do is tied up in that value proposition. Your energy, your insights and your unique takes.
“Make sure you love what you’re doing!”: Ben Simpson, Founder and CEO of Collective Shift and member of Entrepreneurs’ Organisation in Melbourne
Number one in business: you’ve got to love what you’re doing. I don’t think you necessarily need to love the product, but you need to love the journey because there will inevitably be a lot of ups and downs. I’ve met founders that, for example, sell chairs. They don’t love chairs, but they love the process of building a business and working with people. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it’s going to be extremely hard to continue when presented with the many challenges along the way.
This story originally appeared on Inside Small Business, and has been republished with permission.
