Two Keys to Longevity in Business
I opened my own company in 2006, and next month I celebrate my 8th year in business. Considering most businesses open and close in the first year, I get asked how I've stayed in the game this long. Well other than a lot of fairy dust, I guess I'll try and distill it down.
Persistence AKA never give up. Oh, a few times I've been about this "close" to throwing in not just the towel, but the baby, the dishwater and the tub it came in. A few lean months where my net suggested I could make more at McDonald's and contemplation of a six-figure income back in corporate sounded much better. Yet here I am still standing. Yes, I always give myself permission to have a brief adult tantrum, but once the angst tears and cries of defeat end, I get back to the business of my business. I buckle up, do the buttercup (more like marketing), and business goes on.
Speaking of marketing ... you must market every single day. Marketing is like brushing your teeth and bathing (If you're a clean person, that is) -- you do it daily. Find your marketing tools that work and keep it going. Let me rephrase this: do you think I want to get up every day and write this blog? I mean, I love to write; but some days I have no idea what to say. And some might suggest there is no payoff in this blog or blogging, but I'm here to tell you: Yes, there is! It keeps my brand in front of my prospective audience on a daily basis. It provides keywords to find my website (www.3LPublishing.com), and it bolsters my credibility and expertise in my field.
Note: if you've experienced the joys and freedom of entrepreneurship then you know that going back to a corporate job isn't an option. The freedom and ability to make lots of money doesn't exist working for "the man". And that is a flat fact. Plus, I love that I can work anywhere and any way I prefer. Life on my terms! You can beat it.
Persistence AKA never give up. Oh, a few times I've been about this "close" to throwing in not just the towel, but the baby, the dishwater and the tub it came in. A few lean months where my net suggested I could make more at McDonald's and contemplation of a six-figure income back in corporate sounded much better. Yet here I am still standing. Yes, I always give myself permission to have a brief adult tantrum, but once the angst tears and cries of defeat end, I get back to the business of my business. I buckle up, do the buttercup (more like marketing), and business goes on.
Speaking of marketing ... you must market every single day. Marketing is like brushing your teeth and bathing (If you're a clean person, that is) -- you do it daily. Find your marketing tools that work and keep it going. Let me rephrase this: do you think I want to get up every day and write this blog? I mean, I love to write; but some days I have no idea what to say. And some might suggest there is no payoff in this blog or blogging, but I'm here to tell you: Yes, there is! It keeps my brand in front of my prospective audience on a daily basis. It provides keywords to find my website (www.3LPublishing.com), and it bolsters my credibility and expertise in my field.
Note: if you've experienced the joys and freedom of entrepreneurship then you know that going back to a corporate job isn't an option. The freedom and ability to make lots of money doesn't exist working for "the man". And that is a flat fact. Plus, I love that I can work anywhere and any way I prefer. Life on my terms! You can beat it.
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