What Is It That Every Small Business Owner Has In Common?

It’s not experience.
It’s not extraordinary skills.
It’s not even a powerful drive.
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Although all of these things can definitely help your business grow, they’re not a prerequisite for success. After all, no one is born with experience or skills, and not all successful people have a powerful drive.

The one thing that does make a difference, though, is your “why.”

• Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?
• Why do you spend too many hours in front of your computer every week?
• Why do you stay up too late and get up too early, filling your days with a long list of tasks?

The “why” is what ultimately drives us to success, but here’s the thing: it’s different for everyone. Your why is not my why, and my why is not your why. It’s a deeply personal choice that can have great meaning.

For example, someone who has spent years volunteering at an animal shelter might happily spend 60 hours each week planning and launching a pet shop.  Their big why is a strong desire to help place animals in loving homes.

A mother of small children may be saddened at the thought of sending her kids to daycare just so she can go to work to (barely) pay for it. Her big why is a drive to spend as much time with her kids as she can, while still supporting her family.
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A young, fresh out of school entrepreneur might resist taking the same path his parents took, working for a corporation for 40 years, only to retire and find themselves with barely enough to live on. Instead, he dreams of having the income (and the time) to see the world while he’s still young enough to enjoy it.

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My why was because I wanted the freedom to set my own schedule, to work from wherever I might be on a particular day, and to have true flexibility from the conventional "do it this way because I said so" mentality.  I had a dream and I worked very hard to make it come true.

It took me 12 months to build my business to a sustainable level.  I worked days, nights, and weekends.  Heck, I even worked holidays because I was driven by my NEED to SUCCEED.  I had an end goal that I was aiming towards and I knew it would take dedication, time, and sacrifice in the beginning but the rewards would be great.

It might be the freedom to travel, the option to spend time with your family, the ability to take weeks off at a time to care for a sick family member, or to earn enough money to take your dream vacation, pay for a wedding, or just to have a second income so life isn't so "paycheck to paycheck".
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Whatever it is, your “why” is the driving force behind every action you take.  That is the Number One thing to remind yourself when the journey gets rough or you feel like giving up.  Remember your "why" and keep heading in the direction of success.
When you’re deciding whether or not to take on a new client, ask yourself if it’s aligned with your “why.”

When you’re setting goals for the year, ask yourself if those goals are moving you closer or further from your big why.

When you find yourself not sticking to your original plan of action, take the time to revisit your why.  Has it changed?  Have your priorities changed?  What might be different?  What's still the same? 

Make sure your business direction is in alignment with your big why, and success is suddenly much more attainable.

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