Every job has a specific personal trait that one must have, to be able to abide by the job standard or requirements. For example, to be an accountant or bookkeeper you need to be able to keep a secret. You are going to work with confidential information thus you shouldn’t find it easy to disclose some information to just anyone.
On this blog I just want to discuss those general personal traits that every business owner must have.
1. Self Motivation – once you decide to start a business please note that the honours lies in you whether you plan to build a successful business or not. You need to get up every morning and report for work like any other employee. Develop a working routine that you follow through on a daily basis. The key is understanding that what you put in will always be equal to the outcome. Thus less work means less income.
2. Be organised – assist yourself by writing down the plan of action for the day so that you do not get overwhelmed by the duties at hand. The last thing you need is to be too busy but unproductive. If you put in the work, the results must be visible. For the jobs that are not under your portfolio feel free to outsource them. This will also help you to focus on running the business as opposed to the minimal operations that are not the core of the business.
3. Ability to schedule and plan – you need to understand the nature of the business. For e.g. an accounting firm is a deadline driven kind of business. We need to make sure our clients work is up to date all the time. This means we need to prepare the interim reports on a monthly basis so that our function is not compromised. Any other business, you must have a turnaround time. The ordering process must be clear to your customers, and they should be able to know when your deliverable will be made.
4. Persistence – running your business does not mean that you choose to work only when you feel like it. You must put in the work everyday. You are most likely required to be creative too. Put in the work!
5. Self-promotion – if you do not talk about your business nobody else will. Advertise your services or products to your potential customers, build awareness, do some research and ask around. There is a quote I like on marketing that says “Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark” ☺️
Many people are not born with these personality traits but they are skills that can be learned and mastered over time thus you have no excuse.
Compiled by Ms. Dikeledi Seoloane – Accountant, Tax Practitioner and Owner at Matsobanemetja Business Consulting – The Accounting Firm
http://www.matsobanemetja.co.za
Matsobanemetja Business Consulting Pty Ltd 