The views expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
The difference between surviving a business and thriving often comes down to one thing—your mindset. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned executive, your actions are all the time inspired by the way you look at things. It ultimately affects your results and dictates what you may bring to the table.
Business leaders must confidently lead their organizations to meet challenges and encourage their teams to succeed. reach recent heights and drive their businesses forward. I’ve seen firsthand how the right mindset can transform a business, and these five approaches helped my company reach a significant milestone in just one 12 months:
1. Expect the unexpected
Get used to the undeniable fact that things won’t go the way you expect; it’s a part of the journey. If your plan A doesn’t work out, make sure you have 25 more up your sleeve.
There is no perfect roadmap for your online business, as every business and its founder is unique in how they approach growth and customer support. Embracing the unpredictable nature of your online business helps you stay agile and adaptable, and flexibility allows you to change direction when crucial and seize unexpected opportunities.
2. Outsource early and often
Outsource every task you may as soon as possible. This approach will force you to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) before you get too busy. If you don’t do this early, scaling will likely be very difficult, stopping you from generating the revenue you wish to support a full-time team.
Consider outsourcing as a way to buy time. The primary goal of an entrepreneur is to reinvest time in assets that drive growth as early as possible. Focus on more critical points of your online business reasonably than getting bogged down in routine tasks.
3. Invest in a business coach
No matter where you are in your online business lifecycle, you may’t afford not to have someone who can show you how to overcome challenges and offer perspectives and ideas that can show you how to stay on track. Get a coach for every stage of your online business.
It’s normal to outgrow your coach as your online business grows, and it is best to expect that. I once hired a very expensive sales coach. His feedback over a single phone call was all I needed to boost my confidence that I used to be a lot higher at sales than I gave myself credit for. Although I didn’t find much value in his other advice, I made a decision to take a likelihood based on one confidence-boosting insight that I knew would repay tenfold.
Don’t be afraid to take what you wish and move on. Don’t worry about the cost if it helped you progress through an area of friction or if it gave you an “aha” moment.
4. Get comfortable with public failure
The sooner you get used to failing publicly, the sooner you may bounce back and learn from your mistakes. If you always dwell on details or let what others perceive as yours get on your nerves, you are setting yourself up for disaster.
I overcame my imposter syndrome through experience and the lessons I learned from my mistakes. The more experience I gained, the more decisive I became in my decisions. With each victory, even if I initially failed, my confidence grew because it was never as bad as I believed.
5. Surround yourself with like-minded people
They say, “You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with,” and I couldn’t agree more. Your network significantly shapes the way you think and see things.
Joining the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Since then, my calendar has been filled with skilled and personal development classes, and dozens of like-minded individuals have been cheering me on.
I have also joined a few elite mastermind groups and have gained a lot of value from them. If you may’t afford expensive mastermind groups, you may all the time go for cheaper ones, but they are still a big investment. People who invest money in themselves exude a different energy, and those are the people you wish to be around when you select to take yourself and your online business to recent heights.
Your mindset is your strongest business tool. Remember, for your online business to succeed, it’s not enough to simply meet your goals; you have to beat them. That means always difficult the established order, treating failure as a learning opportunity, and fostering a culture of innovation.
Achieving goals is one thing, but continually and consciously maintaining with the times and exceeding expectations is an entirely different matter.