Overcoming Roadblocks

Entrepreneurs are amazing people; they have the ability to change the world.

They are initiators, leaders, status quo challengers, they think outside the box and are driven by their personal vision.

They take a risk in starting a business, but the rewards are not necessarily just profits. Profits are the means that measure their success. The only thing that can stop these amazing people are roadblocks.

Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur?

If so, has your business stopped growing and plateaued?

If you answered yes to these questions, it’s usually due to roadblocks. When looking at a company’s historical sales data, it’s these roadblocks that create the plateaus. Growth can start again when they are overcome.

Entrepreneurs have a sense of belief about the bigger picture. It is this mindset that drives them, but the world around us questions this reality and creates self-limiting beliefs that produce a roadblock. What starts as an unbeatable vision gets blocked by the world around us, the people, systems, beliefs and the media.

I believe that the impossible is always possible, it just takes looking at it from a different angle and in small bites.

Hiring the wrong staff is a major roadblock. Do you say, why can’t they get it right? Why do I need to get involved? It’s just easier to do it myself. Am I micromanaging them? Why don’t they take ownership? It feels as if they are using my energy. Remember it’s not just about filling a position quickly, but getting the right person (we’ll go into that in another blog) and inducting them to your company’s vision.

Do you have the right life work balance? Spending all your time focused on the business is another big roadblock. Your mind and body need down time to be reinvigorated. Taking a break gives you the opportunity to see your business with fresh eyes.

Business is a war not a battle and you can’t always win every battle. However, losing battles can create roadblocks. A clear image of the final goal is what is important. Every time you lose a battle you need to rethink how to get around this block and move on. Remember to reward yourself when we win each of these battles as that’s what you will remember when you lose one. The losses need to be seen as an education of how not to do it next time and also to realise what went wrong. Don’t just push it aside, but learn from your mistakes.

Money is another big roadblock. When a company has insufficient funds or has misused the funds it has, a great deal of time is then spent on managing a way out. In these situations you are not driving the business, but working in the business. This puts your head space into the wrong place for growth, which tends to drive margins and profitability down.

There are many more roadblocks that can stop your business from growing. The amazing thing is that most entrepreneurs know instinctively how to solve these problems and remove the roadblocks. If you are experiencing roadblocks such as these outlined, you are probably too close to the problem and need to step back and have your thinking challenged. This is where a good business mentor or coach can add value.

Remember that roadblocks only block the road; it should not stop you from getting to your destination. Just find another road that gets around it or build your own road.

No matter if you need to win more sales, improve profits, prevent profit leakage, take control of hiring the best staff, eccoConsultants will show you in a very short time our value to you and your business.