As a business owner, YOU are the most important asset in your business. In fact, I believe that you are the foundation. It doesn’t matter what you build, if the foundation is rock-solid, it won’t last very long. And as an entrepreneur, you will go down with the business when it falls.
So it is wise and important to build your business with a solid foundation.
According to Dictionary.com, a foundation is:
the basis or groundwork of anything
What makes a solid foundation?
The are 4 key ingredients to a solid foundation to create sustainability for your business. Miss one ingredient and you will lose your opportunity for freedom.
The first ingredient to your foundation is YOU. There is a caveat here, though. The more sustainable your business is, the longer it can survive without you. And since most of us business owners have a business so we can have a life, becoming sustainable is pretty important.
But let’s talk foundation first. After you, what else is necessary?
There are a few other foundational items that are necessary to build a sustainable business.
You need a SHTICK – something that makes your stand out in the crowd. It’s what you do and your positioning, rolled into one.
You need to be clear about WHO you do it for. I know this sounds obvious, but almost everyone stumbles over this piece at some point. Who do you serve? Why? What is there motivation? These simple answers need to roll off your tongue. And if it’s not a simple answer, you probably don’t have enough clarity here.
You need support. In fact, you need 3 types of support.
Support #1: Operational systems support you when you get sick, when you hire a new team member and when you launch a new program.
Support #2: Your team can include employees, assistants, coaches, advisory board, mastermind partners and even your cheerleaders. You don’t need all those team members, but the more you have supporting you, the easier it will be to get results on the days you don’t feel like it.
Support #3: Self care is what prevents things like adrenal fatigue/burnout and other debilitating illnesses from taking over your life. I heard Deepak Chopra refer to this as Living Luxuriously. I call it, the simple pleasures in life. For me, a glass of wine, waking up to a steamy cup of coffee, a candle-lit bath and watching the Gilmore Girls with my girls are my pleasures.
So I ask, does your business foundation include ALL the required ingredients for success and sustainability?