Two Important Business Mantras to Live by

Frustrations and elations are a pretty common occurrence when you’re a business owner. It’s not an easy ride, by any means. We start off with this great idea, or this higher purpose that drives us to bring our business to life. Then the road gets bumpy. We deal with situations we couldn’t dream up in our wildest imagination. When we think we’ve got a handle on things, suddenly, the rug gets pulled out and we’re shifting focus or going into crisis management.

Then, other days, we have massive wins and when the day ends we’re looking back wondering how the heck we pulled that off.

It’s a rollercoaster.

Reflecting on this, recently, because I had a particularly bumpy start to 2022, I realised, there are two mantras that I constantly come back to. So, I wanted to share these and explain how they work for me, in the hopes that someone else out there might find these mantras to resonate in their world too.

Important Business Mantra Number One

Start the way you intend to finish

Not to be caught up in analysis paralysis or suddenly choke from imposter syndrome. This mantra is all about intent. Obviously, we intend to finish strong if we’re business owners. And if we spend too much time trying to start ‘perfect’ we will never start at all.

This mantra is not about starting perfect.

Start the way you intend to finish is all about ‘intent’. As a business owner, we have a picture in our mind of what our business will look like when we’ve climbed our Everest of success. We know there’s something we want to achieve, and we have a fair idea of what achievement looks like. Dig deep, it’s in there.

Does success look like hiring staff? Then set up your business with the intention that staff will one day be hired. Do you want to provide the highest quality products? Then start your business with the intention to provide the highest quality products.

Even if today isn’t the day you’re hiring staff, or buying those wholesale silks, be mindful that, one day, you will be doing those things.

When you start the way you intend to finish, you’ll set up systems with your goals in mind so that when you get to those goals, you’re already two thirds prepared.

Here’s an example

When I started my business, I knew I was going to hire a team. So, I started out by capturing my processes and being mindful of how to delegate and organise. When I started to grow, I already had so much in place already that I was able to scale quickly, and handle a sudden influx of customers.

If you’re a product based business, get your e-commerce right from the start. Make sure your website is clean and properly optimised so your customers don’t have to fight through a clunky system. If you truly want to scale your business, a difficult purchase pathway is going to stop your success no matter where you are in your journey.

Important Business Mantra Number Two

Be the change you want to see

We have a responsibility as business owners to put into the world what we want to get out of it.

If we intend to create wealth for ourselves, are we doing it responsibly? Are we making ethical decisions? Are we going to give back some of that wealth, or help to provide wealth to others?

For me, every business decision involves a moral check-in. Integrity is paramount to me because I only ever want to be doing good in the world.

But, I’m aware that there are definite negatives to working in the digital marketing space. The internet, and social media, have the power to amplify disturbing aspects of human nature, and normalise things that should never be acceptible.

I take these things into account when I work in this space and I make sure that my business never aligns to another business with terrible morals. I make sure that my clients care about what they do as much as I do so that I know I am helping create more good.

If you’re building your business, this is your chance to do be the change you want to see.

Are you governed by your morals? Then make sure every decision you make aligns with your morals.

Use renewable resources, care about your people, care about your customers.

So what to do next?

Your business starts out as your baby but it grows into a marriage. Eventually, that baby takes on its own personality and rather than govern it, you start negotiating with it.

Start out the way you intend to finish so you’re shaping your business into the type of relationship that lights up your day. Be the change you want to see because you’re in this for the long haul and when things get rocky, your morals may be the only thing you have to stand on.

Article written by CEO and Digital Strategist, Kathryn Dellar