People say that there is no difference between ‘finished’ and ‘complete’.
I say there is…..
Marry the right person, and you’re ‘complete.’
Marry the wrong person, and you’re ‘finished.’
From aJokeaday.com.
This joke immediately made me think about business ownership. Owning your own business has some parallels to marriage. So does your business complete you or finish you?
A few secrets to a business that completes you are:
- Your tasks ‘fit’ you.
- You have a passion for what you are doing.
- You are using your talents and strengths where there is demand and profitability.
Your tasks ‘fit’ you. Do you enjoy the tasks you do on a daily basis? Do you look forward to going to work and tackling your things to do list? Granted, most business owners jump in and do whatever needs to be done, whenever it needs to be done, given their dedication and investment. However, you can enjoy jumping in when needed, knowing that your primary roles and tasks are those you enjoy. And depending on the stage that your business is in, you may need to do some things that you don’t particularly enjoy until your business matures in certain areas. For example, you might need to spend more time selling than you would prefer until the level of sales supports hiring that next salesperson. However, if sales are not your favorite thing to do, you at least know that delegating those tasks is on the horizon.
You know you’re ‘finished’ if most of the tasks you do on a daily basis, you really wish someone else was doing, you’re not that great at them, and there appears to be no end in sight to this dilemma.
You have a passion for what you are doing. What energizes you? What is it about your business that is incredibly exciting to you? Or is it just a job? Is your business something that you have a great deal of enthusiasm about and desire to dive in to, build, nurture and grow? Are there multiple moments throughout the day and week where you feel totally fulfilled?
You know you’re ‘finished’ if you see your business as simply a job that has great potential to make you money. But, on a daily and weekly basis, you feel more tired and overworked than you do energized.
You are using your talents and strengths where there is demand and profitability. Being passionate is only part of the picture. I might be passionate about riding horses, but my talents and strengths are not nearly enough in this area to create a demand for my riding abilities. There may be a demand for what you are passionate about, but are people willing to pay what it takes to be profitable in this area? If you have no profit, you do not have a viable business, no matter how massive you can make your revenue numbers.
You know you’re ‘finished’ if you enjoy your work and do things that energize you, but selling the product or service is incredibly difficult, both because people are not real interested and those who are interested are not willing to pay a price that you must command in order to realize a profit. If you cut your prices to extremely minimal or no profit margins to get the business going, you are definitely in trouble later as you try to turn a start up into a viable and profitable business.
What else is important to determine if your business completes or finishes you?