More than 10 years ago I founded my then “small” business that today has more than 600 employees and tens of thousands of customers around the globe. I talk to small-business owners every day, and while they all come from different industries and places, it is passion, freedom and impact that have been the main drivers determining their success or failure, progress or regression.
Let’s take a closer look:
Passion
Passion is your drive, ambition and the love of what you do and who you serve. It provides you with a very special view of the world that others often don’t see. For example, Steve Jobs had the vision of a phone with one button on the front. Jeff Bezos of Amazon had a vision for a store that sold everything.These are well-known examples of entrepreneurs who had a unique view of the world that others didn’t see at the time. Every successful small-business owner and entrepreneur must have a passion that drives them forward -- a core belief that keeps them pressing on, even though others don’t necessarily have the same vision.
My strongest passion is serving entrepreneurs and small-business owners. In the beginning, many people thought I was crazy for believing that a thriving company -- just focused on small-business success -- could last. Today, Infusionsoft serves more than 25,000 small businesses.
Stop and ask yourself: What is your true passion? What makes you excited about what you are doing? The difference between those who push through difficult times and those who do not is passion.
Freedom
Freedom is the ability to spend your time and money as you see fit. Financial freedom enables you to not only grow your business and pay your employees, but to also give your family the quality of life you want for them. Freedom enables you to invest time in causes that matter to you, whether that is with your family, friends or hobbies.My father was a teacher. Growing up, our basic necessities were always taken care of, but my father had to take additional jobs to earn extra money to supplement his teacher’s salary. As I became older, I knew that I wanted to ensure I had a career which enabled me to go beyond providing for my family’s basic needs, but to give us a lifestyle where money was not an issue.
Impact
Impact should be at the core of your business. You might think that when your business reaches a certain stage of growth or you have a bigger budget you’ll then decide to make an impact. Don’t wait! Start from the beginning. Very early in our business we made giving and helping others a key part of our purpose. If having an impact is a key part of your business from day one, you will make an impact on someone’s life every day.More at: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240396
No comments:
Post a Comment