As individuals, we want to be progressive. We want to excel at school, we desire to be better parents, and we want to score success in whatever endeavours. One area of particular interest is business.
Businesses come in different forms and scale, there are micro businesses, formal and informal. What makes one business different from the other largely is about the attitudes of the sponsors behind every business. Progressive business have one thing in common: A seemingly infinite energy from the owners. The more passionate and resolute the owners are, the greater the chances of succeeding are. Individuals with this characteristic tend to be unique, immovably unapologetic about their stance on matters and they believe in the Power of Now. They take chances, they take the risks, they dare the uncertainty of doing things and just move on. They do not term failure as such but as a learning point.
In short, we have real business people and posers, each category exhibiting their own peculiar characteristics. Unfortunately, it appears we have many posers. This I have seen, especially among our own. The Posers are not difficult to identify, and you will know them by their conduct:
1. They will sell a very good business idea but when time to execute comes, suddenly they don’t have time to invest in it. They delay on decision making, they provide little on their strategy or business model
2. They talk of how costly an activity would be: Rather than investing, they would rather save on costs before they even commence operations. Nothing wrong about being prudent about expenses, but business expenses can not be avoided if the business demands so. Remember, there is a stage in business when the business has a mind of its own and has the “ability” to make its own demands which the owners can not ignore.
3. Taking business partners and collaborators for granted: On impulse, they request for information or resources from their network, but when supplied with such, no action, no feedback. They cant appreciate that it takes effort to have resources made available, be it information resource or otherwise. Poor communication maybe?
4. Failure in determining what is viable and what is not: They have this affinity to certain business ideas, which they find interesting, but they might not take time to assess whether the idea is workable and profitable.
5. Sticking to methods of running a business which are ineffective under the guise of consistency and continuity: The largest fear is the cost of utilizing new methods- The Devil you know is better than the Angel you don’t Know.
6. Fear of change: Change is a painful process and sometimes Posers are afraid of this change because the old ways provide comfort.
7. Failure to adapt: Change management skills are absent from posers. They simply fail to adapt. As a result, their businesses fail. Kodak case.
8. Failure to separate the needs of the business from their own: A business might demand a move forwards, but the owner may want to stay put.
9. Being swayed easily: Sometimes there is lack of grounding, and this type of business owner believes everything said by those he or she perceives to be “knowledgeable” without requesting for evidence.
10. Failure to trust their own systems: People and resources invested in their business may be under utilized under the guise that they are not good enough.
Do you need a business talk? You are welcome.
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