Are You Overlooking Your Business's Vital Foundation?

Are You Overlooking Your Business's Vital Foundation?
You spend a lot of time and energy working IN your
business. You most likely went into business so you can do
the thing you love. From cooking excellent food, helping
people build their financial security, making the best
widgets, or, like me, helping people live more successful,
happier lives.

You soon found you had to spend time, energy and money
working ON your business to make it grow - - getting
clients or customers, prospecting, advertising, selling,
hiring and managing staff.

These issues are urgent and demand your attention. But
there is a part of your business that is more important. In
fact, it is the most important part of your business. It is
the foundation of your business.

Have you ever asked yourself, what is the foundation of
your business, that which everything else depends and
without it being strong and vital, your business would
seriously suffer? If you think about it, that vital
foundation is you.

If you have uncertainties about running your business, will
this not show up in how well your business goes? If you
lack focus, will not your business lack focus and your
prospective customers feel uncertain of your services or
products? If you are inefficient, is not your whole
organization inefficient and hurting?

Are you, like most business owners, so caught up in the
daily business activities that you neglect the vital
foundation of your business - - YOU?

Picture it this way. Imagine a rectangle representing the
foundation of your business, you. Resting on and being
supported by that rectangle is a square that represents
your business.

You work IN your business. You work ON you business. But
how much time do you work on the foundation of your
business?

Keeping yourself healthy and energetic is essential. Even
more important is keeping yourself psychological fit - -
sharp, optimistic, clear, focused, unstressed and happy.
You know you do better work in such an emotional state. You
dramatically increase the chances for success and survival
of your business.

Leading a balanced life contributes to this result. Is
marriage and family life fulfilling and supportive? Are you
at peace with your conscience and spirit? Are you
recreating your life with recreation -- having fun?

This is a mutually supporting system. You probably went
into business hoping to provide the material things to make
a happily balance life. At the same time, a happily balance
life contributes to the success of your business.

If you had a ten million dollar race horse, would you not
feed him properly, exercise him, make sure he got rest, was
well groomed and cared for? Would you not reduce all
conceivable stress so he would function at his peak? Are
you not worth more than a ten million dollar horse?

Take extreme care of your business's foundation, which
translates into extreme self-care.

Self-care is what Stephen Covey calls Important but Not
Urgent. Do not wait until illness, threat of divorce,
truancy reports, or depression marks it as Urgent. It may
not seem Urgent now, but it is IMPORTANT.

Put the care of yourself and your family first. Put it on
the top of your to do list. When you do this, you are not
taking way resources from your business. You are making
the prime mover of your business more efficient and
effective.

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Stan Mann, C.P.C. supports business owners, top executives
and commission salespeople to substantially grow their
business and have a balanced life. He is a Certified
Professional Coach. For additional articles and resources
please visit http://www.stanmann.com