Six years ago today, my wife and I took a leap of faith into the unknown by opening our doors as Strategic-Partners/franchise owners with the national staffing firm PrideStaff. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect when we opened. We were excited and worried at the same time. Now 6 years later there are definitely some lessons I have learned, usually the hard way, in running this business.
Don’t Lose Confidence In Yourself
I would love to tell you that running a business is all sunshine and roses, but everyone would know I am lying. Running a business takes confidence in your own abilities. On a daily basis, you are going to make decisions and the results of those decisions will reflect upon you. No matter how hard you and your team work, mistakes will happen. We all make them, no matter how well-intentioned we are. If you are like me, you will dwell on the one dumb decision instead of realizing you made a number of other great decisions to help get your business to where it’s at. Keeping your mistakes in perspective can go a long way to having the confidence you need in yourself, your team, and your business to keep growing and getting back on track.
Build The Right Team For You
There are certain things I do well and there are other tasks that I would certainly call growth opportunities. When we first started out, and we didn’t know what we didn’t know, we had all sorts of suggestions from friends and others on how to build our internal team. Some recommended following a multi-step hiring process that requires aptitude or personality testing, group interviews, 48 hour wait times, etc.I just don’t by into that hype. It is important I have people around me who push me to be better every day and who don’t think as I do. While having professional experience in my industry is helpful, I have found that finding people who have what I call the “will to be successful” is even more important. These are the people you can’t test their aptitude or interview in a group. These are the people who will keep going when the road gets tough. We have been blessed to have a number of people with us on this journey that have been like that. You have to find what works for you.
Try Not To Get Cynical
I like to tell people that my business deals with a variable product…people. We don’t know what is going on in their lives, what their challenges may be, and we don’t know what issues they may be facing today. What we do know is that the person we interviewed may not be the same person you interview. Or the client who promised us one thing today, may not follow through on that promise tomorrow. When I first opened, I took these situations personally and got angry when they didn’t go the way I expected. I felt like it was a reflection on my business. I still have to fight myself to allow some of these situations to roll off my back. But I’m getting better. I know I can’t control what others do, I can only control what my business does.
As far as I can tell, 2020 is rewriting all the rules for small businesses! We are having to adapt, evolve, and transition our businesses faster than we ever have before. The challenges in front of us are significant. But I would be lying if I didn’t tell you I love the challenge! If you are just starting out, keep going! I hope this helps you as you face the challenges in your business moving forward. If my business can be helpful to you, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
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