Do you feel like your business isn’t moving forward at the rate you want it to be? Are there things in the way that seem too big or too difficult to overcome, and so you just don’t know where to start? If so then this article may help you.
Here is a list of 10 common barriers to success in small businesses:
1) Laziness and Sloppiness 2) A Lack of Creativity 3) A Lack of Time Management 4) Taking on Too Much 5) Not Marketing Properly 6) Fear 7) Procrastination 8) Poor Problem Solving 9) Complexity 10) Greed
Laziness and Sloppiness tends to breed more laziness and sloppiness (or lack thereof). If you don’t want to take the time to do something properly, or get it done on time, then you might find yourself in a position where your business suffers because of it. Be willing to put the effort and time into what you’re doing so that it can be done well, and so that there aren’t any roadblocks along the way.
A Lack of Creativity can sometimes stem from laziness and sloppiness (or lack thereof), but not always. It’s possible for someone who is putting in time and effort into their work still to feel like they’re going in circles because they don’t have a creative spark guiding them onwards toward greater achievements. If this happens, consider taking some time away from your current project(s), or finding someone to take the weight of your burdens for awhile. Perhaps that fresh view and new perspective will help you formulate a more creative approach.
A lack of Time Management is an issue that prevents many people from getting things done in a timely manner; we all struggle with this sometimes. The cure, as it were, is usually pretty simple: start earlier and/or work later (assuming you don’t have some other obligation which keeps you from doing either of those). If simply starting earlier isn’t an option for you consider waking up early before everyone else does so that you can get on with what needs to be done without interruption… or perhaps go to sleep earlier so that it’s easier to wake up the crack of dawn. This article has some more ideas which might help with time management: 10 Tips to Improve Your Time Management Skills .
A Lack of Marketing can feel like a huge barrier in the sense that it is something that tends to be lacking in most small businesses. If you don’t have customers then you won’t make money, and if you’re not making money then you’ll eventually run out of fuel for your business engine. Perhaps someone else is taking care of marketing on your behalf (if so, consider training them or finding someone who can do it better). If not, consider learning how to market yourself properly so that the world knows about everything wonderful that your business does… because no one will know about it otherwise!
Fear prevents many people from doing what they want to do, or should be doing. Sometimes fear can be an indicator of an important message about the way you live your life, so pay attention to it and try not to stifle it completely (after all, our fears are meant to protect us). However, if fear is just getting in the way of your business success then imagine how much better your business could be if that wasn’t the case!
Procrastination usually occurs when someone feels overwhelmed by what needs to get done. It might feel like too big a task for anyone to complete successfully… but no one ever said being successful was easy! Break down tasks into smaller chunks which are easier for you. For example: instead of seeing “write an article” as one huge task, break it down into “write one paragraph” and “write another paragraph”.
Complexity is something that occurs when someone fails to simplify. When you’re trying to do too much at once it becomes difficult to process all the information which you are taking in. Decide what’s most important for you to focus on right now, then continue your business as usual until that task is complete before moving onto anything else.
Greed can also be a major barrier to success in that it often leads people astray from their original goals . This happens out of desire for more money, fame , or power . It pays off in the short term but usually bites you hard later down the line (or even sooner!). If greed has prevented you from building up your business, consider cutting unnecessary costs and expenses in order to become more efficient. Alternatively, you can also try earning less so that you have fewer expenses to worry about.
Lack of Direction is when you feel like you’re not sure what it is that needs to be done next… this might sound like an issue of indecisiveness but it’s actually more complicated than that: there may be too many options available for you and this means that instead of taking the most appropriate action possible (which would require a lot of thought), you do nothing at all because it feels easier than making a mistake. If lack of direction has been holding your business back then perhaps everyone needs to get on the same page with regards to project management.