- Do not stop networking: It’s who you know that creates and builds relationships with people you don’t know.
- Trying to do everything yourself: One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face is letting go. Too often, they won’t let others help out and go off the belief that only they can make decisions. If you try to do everything yourself, you will spread yourself too thin.
- Don’t order marketing materials until you are ABSOLUTELY clear on your message: It is best to wait until you are totally sure and absolutely positive about what your marketing message will be before you start buying up the store.
- Multi-task: Business owners love the idea that they can multi-task. The problem? They can’t. No one can. Multi tasking kills focus and productivity.
- Never Ignore Security: Every business has information which needs to be kept secret. Whether it is usernames and passwords or contact lists of clients, this information needs to be well guarded.
- Assuming You Have No Competition: Even if you have the latest, never-been-done-before approach to something, don’t assume that you have no competition.
- Do not put your personal lives on hold: Balance your personal and business life, and you will actually do better in both.
- Don’t ignore email Marketing: When the time comes to sell a product/service, publicize a special promotion, email is the way to go. The business owner has the ability to take their message right to the customer.
- Being Impatient: it is very important to understand that a business does not grow overnight. It takes time for any business to grow and start bringing in enough income according to expectations.
- Confusing Networking With Sales: Network, meet people and use the follow up as a way to set up a sales meeting.
- Ignoring social media altogether, because they don’t have time to understand its impact. Another mistake business owners make is they jump in to all of the hottest social properties without considering the importance of behavior. Take the time to really think about how you can use social /mobile to deliver value to customers and strengthen your brand promise.
- What would you add to this list?