The unknown can bring stress and discomfort. Yet life is full of those. As business owners, we too have our share of the “unknowns” and then some more. I have started several companies in the past 25 years from lighting installation, to computer repair, to internet services and now Starr Host. My wife and business partner has also started several businesses. If you look at our track record, you will realize that our business path was not always perfect.
Oliver Wendell Holmes said:
To reach a port we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor.
Anything can happen and it doesn’t mean we just let things go with the flow. We must have ways and strategies to prepare our businesses for pitfalls, shortfalls or anything that hinders our progress. It will be quite irresponsible if we just hope for the good times and avoid preparing for the bad as well.
As business owners, my wife and I have our share of storms and triumphs as we set sail in different businesses. Things may not turn out the way we wanted or expected. We worked very hard not to fall into making mistakes but some pitfalls, mistakes and pain get turned into blessings and higher rewards than anticipated.
If you are a new online business owner, we want to show you four things we learned through business pain and pitfalls:
Don’t focus on failure
We don’t start a business to fail. Whatever you focus on will be what you get. Even if there are failures, focus on how to get better, do better and change so we don’t make the same mistakes again. If we focus on the drama of mistakes or failure, we will reap more of the negativity that comes with the drama.
Stay humble
We will experience triumphs, failures, mistakes, challenge, and success because as business owners, we are taking risks and many times working out of our comfort zones. Whatever situations we are in, stay humble, keep on learning and have your goal in mind.
Let go
I don’t think success comes in every turn of our business growth. There is no perfection in the business world. We expect to succeed and have results and we strive to do so. We want to stay closer to God and each other as we grow and serve others in our businesses. We want to know how to let go of total control and let God do His work in us.
Boy when we do let go of trying to control everything, God really does show up and show off. Now that doesn’t mean don’t work because the Bible says profits come to those who work but it does mean trying to control everything so tightly, putting everything on your shoulders and not trusting Him and giving Him the burden could lead to major burn out.
Share your experiences
We learn from each other. I really like social media and the blogging platform now because there is value in sharing with each other. When successful business owners share about what’s going on in their world, we can learn and grow from their mistakes and successes. Listening to family members or friends who have never run a business or one successfully can be a disaster too. Successful business owners share so we can dream bigger and expand our horizons.
Business owners, are you growing your business online and feeling frustrated or isolated sometimes? We know how you feel. Come over and join our Facebook community and let us know how we can serve you.
