Smart business owners: read this

Business, as you have likely learned over the years, is about so much more than keeping the numbers in the black. Yes, that’s a high priority and if you can’t do that, you don’t get to stay in business very long. Still, business is also about keeping the people who work for you motivated, productive and ready to tackle new challenges for you. It’s about investing in your skills and your team’s skills. It’s knowing when to hustle and when to innovate. Being a business owner or boss is not easy, but you’re doing it because you have what it takes.

No matter how great we are in our roles, it never hurts to get some tips every now and then to remind us that there’s always room to grow. Here are three tips to being an even smarter business owner than you are today:

1. Get organized. If you’ve ever walked into the office of someone that you admired and saw paperwork strewn everywhere, perhaps you thought to yourself, “I guess this is what being productive looks like.” However, do you really think anyone is doing their best work when they can’t even find what they need on their own desk? No. Take some time to develop an organizational system that works for you. When you don’t have to keep track of where things are, it frees you up to think about bigger things … like growing your business.
2. Be direct. Powerful leaders are not indecisive. They make decisions quickly and they stick by them. In business, it’s important to be confident and it’s also very useful to be direct. However, directness should not equal rudeness. Not quite sure what the difference is? Here’s a great article that will help you hone your skills.
3. Take a break. All we mean here is that all great bosses need to take a break. They need to walk away from their desk and do something other than work from time to time. This is one of the hardest things for most business owners to do, but trust that your best ideas will come when you’re not nose deep in a file folder, or stressing over a presentation. If you feel like you’re hitting a wall, take a break to exercise, eat a healthy meal outside, or take the weekend off and spend time with your family. You’ll feel much more prepared to face the week ahead when your brain is rested and your body is re-fueled.