Steps to a Successful Business

The author Michael Gerber, of the “E Myth” says you build a business for 2 reasons, one to sell the business and the other is to franchise the business. Is that what you are doing in your business? Do you have a business that other people bring other people, to show them what an incredible business you have? Do you work in your business, or on your business?

I have worked with individuals, families, business owners and organizations for the past 35 years helping them produce greater incomes, save money in income and estate taxes, increase sales, start and sell their business, create vision and mission statements, do planning, produce meaningful and timely financial information and increase their net worth. I have found the following ideas useful and beneficial to everyone:

• Have a definite purpose, with a clear vision and established goals and objectives. In the book Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill he writes, “What a different story people would have to tell if they would adopt a definite purpose and stand by that purpose until it had time to become an all-consuming purpose.” What is your purpose? If you’re a business, what is the purpose of the business organization? If you fail to decide your definite purpose, you feel lost and not sure of your direction. If you are an individual, what is your purpose? Why are you here on this planet? What is your unique purpose? My friend Bob Proctor says “your purpose in life is to do the thing you love.” Once you have found your purpose, you can then create your vision and then you can set your goals. Write yourself a plan, and then again, and then again until your vision becomes reality. Your vision is how you express your purpose.

• Have a way to measure your performance. If you were a runner, you would never think if running a race without a timer. You must have a system that allows you to produce meaningful, timely and accurate financial information. If you are an individual, you will want to prepare a financial statement at least once a year and if you are a business or organization, you must produce a balance sheet and profit and loss statement each month.
  In addition, the information is of no use if it is 2-3 months old. If you are a business owner, you need to have information to make decisions within 10 to 15 days after month end. There are many inexpensive software programs to use and the one I like is Quick Books Online http://www.qboe.com/ and it only costs about $12 per month.

• File all income tax and other tax documents on time. Make it a goal every year to have the information you need organized so that you can file your taxes on time. Filing an extension will just cost more time and more money. In addition, I always tell my clients to report all of their income for 2 reasons. The first being that the value of your business is based on
  the profit of the business and the second being is that every business owner should be focused on service and not trying to hide money from being taxed. You will attract into your life what you focus on.

• In the incredible and practical book, Your Invisible Power, Genevieve Behrend, writes “realize that since Order is Heaven’s first law.” This to me means that everything in your business, personal life and organization must have order. I will walk into many companies
  and it looks like a tornado went through it. I suggest to everyone, that when they go home at night, the desk is cleared and everything put away. Everything needs to be in the right place and there needs to be order. The next morning you will have a clean work space and can start on your first objective for the day. A surgeon always has order in the operation
  room. When you have clutter it takes away the free attention that you need to be creative. A good book to read would be Clutter’s Last Stand, by Don Aslett and then start throwing it away. In addition, everyone should store all of their records electronically and have several backups. This actually is more secure and you will find more convenient than storing all that paper.

• The success and quality of your life and business is related to the quality the questions asked. Understand that every question has an answer. You ask the question and by law, you must get an answer. The most important thing to remember when working with powerful questions is to focus on the positive and to stay away from questions that start with “why.” Examples of powerful questions: What is working in my life? What is working in my business? How can I reduce my income taxes? What do I want? Who can I help get what they want today? What am I focusing on? How can I feel more joy, peace and abundance in my life? What is my next step? What action can I take?

If I can help you get clear on any point in this article, please let me know. Leave your comment or you can contact me at marty@martymcevoy.com or at 608-637-6898.

So decide what you want today. Then decide you can have it.

“There is a sacred essence in each human. This can only be realized and shared when we go beyond ourselves and beyond our limits.” Mary Todd Bean.