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Business Times Column

by Marcus

“Is It Fun Being You” In Your Business?

Why did you start your business? If you are like most entrepreneurs, your intention was to create a situation where you have greater control of your own destiny. You may have also wanted more freedom, financial abundance and the ability to travel frequently. Perhaps you wanted to build something meaningful that could be sold for a profit or passed down to your children. Undoubtedly, you desired to make a difference in your life and in the lives of others.

Many people who start a business do so based on what they know – what they are good at and are comfortable doing – not necessarily on what they are passionate about. Try this simple experiment to determine if you are doing what you love. Consider the entire time you have been in business. Over this period of time, how often have you been so excited about it that you couldn’t wait to engage your day? How often has it been the opposite situation? Do you dread even the thought of working on or in your business? Be honest here.

When you love what you do there is no sense of burden or drudgery. There is only enthusiasm, passion and joy. In fact, you will often feel better when you are “working” than when you are not. You will constantly seek to improve yourself and your business, ideas flow readily and it is fun being you in your business.

Sometimes people start a business based on a product or service that they believe will make them rich, but that they don’t really believe in. This will eventually create a huge disconnect within a person that even riches cannot compensate for. If you sell useless, low quality or defective goods and services, and you know it, your lack of integrity will catch up to you at some point, potentially destroying your business and the professional satisfaction you once felt.

Believing in the products and services you provide is a necessary ingredient in the enjoyment of owning your own business. Not only does integrity feel good, it also draws and retains talented team members, and will increase the number of loyal customers you serve. Integrity increases the fun, pleasure and success you experience in the running of your business.

Another key ingredient in the amount of satisfaction you receive through the running of your business is your style of and ability to lead. If you don’t like to be a leader, don’t understand what one is or how to perform this responsibility in an effective way, the amount of fun you have while engaged in your business will suffer tremendously. Ineffective leadership is, undeniably, one of the major pitfalls to happiness and success in business.

The better the leader you are, the stronger your team will be. Effective leaders provide a consistently empowering example, utilize the best tools for hiring true talent, and invest in the development of their team members. This results in greater job satisfaction, increased productivity and retention, exceptional customer service and improved sales. Becoming an exceptional leader takes time and effort, but as you do so your business runs smoother, becomes more successful and the amount of fun you experience increases exponentially.

In addition, the quality of the team you amass to perform the day-to-day operations of your business is essential to your happiness and success. All business owners understand the unending stress and challenge that poor quality team members bring to the corporate culture. This is a situation that is well worth avoiding at all cost.

The more qualified, better trained, happy and committed your team members are, the better it is for everyone involved. People who actually like and enjoy their work will perform at much higher levels than those who are not. Hiring talented individuals is truly a science, and I have proven strategies that will dramatically improve your success rate.

As an internationally recognized coach and consultant, I have met many business owners who are financially successful, yet are not thriving. Financial success is only one aspect of your business. When you are passionate about your business – when you truly love and believe in what you do – and are an effective leader who has built a capable, happy and loyal team, greater financial rewards will follow. And, most importantly, it will be fun being you in your business.

Ask yourself: Is it fun being you in your business? If not, call me. Let’s make it so today!

To learn more about this topic or discuss your unique situation, schedule a FREE EXPLORATORY SESSION by filling out the form below or submitting your information on our Contact Request Form.

This article was written for and published in collaboration with The Business Times newspaper.

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Marcus Straub

Author Marcus Straub

Marcus Straub is Founder and CEO of Life Is Great!™ (LIG) Coaching and Consulting, Inc. based in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Serving individuals of all ages and companies of all sizes, in locations across the country and around the world, Marcus specializes in the development of customized programs tailored to meet the unique goals of each individual client. Purposefully created to guide those involved toward unprecedented personal, professional, and organizational growth, Marcus has become well-known for his straightforward approach and systematic techniques.

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