Of all the questions I am asked on a regular basis, including “How do I get more from networking” and “What’s your answer to better quality referrals”, by a long way, the question I am asked most often is: “How do I grow my business?”
The answer to that question is, I believe, actually very simple, so I guess you want to know…
But, before we get to that, let me just be clear and say, that this is the answer, not the solution.
Results and outcomes are created when a series of actions are implemented over time when the right people have the right information and they are willing to act.
Of course, this is entirely individual. Seems strange to me, that so many see getting an answer as a solution! A good example of this would be the huge number of workshops and webinars that continually pop up. Our temptation is to get lots of answers only to find that the answer doesn’t bring results. All the best workshop and webinar hosts will tell you that it is not what you learn today, but what you put into action forever that truly makes the difference.
What’s the answer?
The answer to the ‘ultimate business question’, as any Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy fan might tell you, is not in fact 42, however temptingly attractive this answer may be.
I believe the answer has three steps and I have found these three steps in almost every business as it grows.
1. Work hard and overcome all the challenges and hurdles that life and business throw at us and hope that it will be alright in the end. Whilst this may work, it will take all your time, money and energy until you either deliberately or accidentally hit on the solution.
2. Do something different with what you already know. Again, this may work eventually. The reality is that many people convince themselves that doing the same things they have always done, even if in a different way, is a step towards a solution. Because we are still doing the same things, we still often only stumble across the solution.
3. Surround yourself with people who have already achieved what you want to achieve and learn from them. From learning from our parents and our years in formal education, the real power of learning comes from others. Surrounding ourselves with those who have the success we desire, and learning from them, is the best way to answer the question “How do I grow my business”.
The question now becomes; How long are you willing to wait and how many times are you willing to try different things? Perhaps you are willing to try 5 different things, perhaps 10? Perhaps you are willing to wait one year, two years, five years, or more, before seeing the success you desire.
My challenge to all of us as owners, partners and directors of businesses, no matter the size or age: Do something today that means we are not trying, hoping or wishing, we are doing and achieving. That success only comes from learning from others. Who will you be learning from and who will you teach?
Book a call with me here to talk about taking action and making a difference for your business.
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I help owners, founders and leaders create a scalable business that works without them, build a world-class team, and 10x profitability. Book a call with me here to see if we could work together.
Remember, there are only three types of people – those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen, and those who talk about why things don’t happen for them. Which one are you?
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