Are you the CEO of Your Business?

Women.

You have probably heard that eight out of ten businesses fail in the first two years. Most people guess the reason is money. It sometimes is. There are other explanations too. The market changes, suppliers fail and complicated regulations make it challenging to run a profitable business. According to a recent Gallup study, one cause rarely mentioned is entrepreneurs. This means the business owner is an important key to success.

If you are like many entrepreneurs, you left a job to start a business, to be independent. However, it’s easy to become a slave or a worker bee in your own business. The business runs you instead of you running the business.

An entrepreneur wears many hats. She can name these business hats or roles rapidly. She is the bookkeeper, the sales person, the marketing guru, the assistant, the janitor and even the mail clerk. Yet she forgets to mention and put on the most important hat: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the leader.

You can develop success from the inside out by considering your role as the CEO. First, envision your dream business as it integrates into your whole life. Then, ask yourself what skills support the role of CEO of your dream business. What qualities, talents and skills do you already have that will take you further by stepping into them fully? Big corporations call this your “core competencies.” Next, consider the edges of learning. Who do you need to become to step into the CEO role at the next level? Will training or a coach support your growth? The answers identify actions.

The CEO makes decisions and gives direction. Each day, consider what action to take to move closer to your dream business and ideal profit. Tap into the CEO hiding inside. She knows the right action to success.