Is Your Business Running You?

Business owners I salute you. If you run a trading business, then I congratulate you.

You are one of 4 million others who put yourself on the line to make a difference to your customers, staff, shareholders, suppliers and your community. You get a big pat on the back from me.

For putting your hard earned cash on the line; plenty of "skin in the game", blood, sweat and tears and you get my vote of confidence every time.

But sadly running a business is not all plain sailing, however many pats on the back you get! It’s stressful, tiring, frustrating, challenging and exhausting. It can be a chore; a lead weight hanging around your neck, a pain in the **** but, 4 million business owners still put themselves through this every week. Why?

Because running a business can be exhilarating, fun, rewarding and profitable, in fact very profitable. It can give the business owner freedom, money, success and satisfaction.

It's clear that lots of people decide to start a business doing what they love doing, believing that they will be able to do more. But that isn’t what happens….

John is a passionate fishermen who has been hobby fishing for years. He loved it so much he wanted to make his hobby a business. He started a business selling fishing tackle. John knew all there was to know about fishing lines; their strengths, weights and uses, bait and flies. Technically he was brilliantly knowledgeable and that's why customers bought from him. They got great advice by the bucket load; all free of charge of course. But soon John has an in-tray full of "running the business work" that seems to multiply overnight; the tooth fairy never reduces it.

He stops fishing. No time to relax anymore; the accounts need doing, the stock-take, the next campaign, orders to make up, bank manager to see etc. Suddenly his love and passion for fishing has just turned into a nightmare, and one he can't wake up from either. All his waking thoughts are consumed by the business not fishing.

John now he has an 80 hour a week job working for a boss (himself) who is too demanding because he's just too disorganised.

If you are you the ‘fishing’ fanatic who has given up fishing then you need to get some help so that you can organise the business, make money and have some time off for your own fishing.