5 Of My ‘Tribe’ Share Some Of Their Top Business Tips
Being an entrepreneur can be very lonely, unless you surround yourself with successful, like-minded people. My personal ‘tribe’ is my Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO) forum. A small group of Kiwi entrepreneurs with whom I meet on a monthly basis and discuss the top and bottom 5% of what has happened over the past month.
The format of our get together is extremely structured and can sometimes get very intense and/or emotional. One of the guiding principles for the meeting is to use ‘gestalt language protocol’, meaning that you can only speak from experience (no advice allowed). This way, hopefully, you learn from others mistakes before you make them yourself!
This month, I decided to reach out to my tribe and ask them for one quality piece of business advice:
Lisa King, Founder of Eat My Lunch
“Keep it simple. That is much harder to do than it sounds, but if you can’t distil down and communicate an idea simply, how will your team and customers understand it?”
Dominic Sutton, Founder of Pumpt Advertising, CEO, Co-Founder of StockTrim
“If you get a request from a client, always respond, even if to say you are onto it, clarify, or ask more questions. It builds loyalty and trust.
You are your own personal brand, if you don’t treat your brand with respect, others won’t either. When you start a business, this reflects on your whole business.
When mistakes are made, be accountable, even if they aren’t your fault. But seek to address the issue and gain agreement on a way forward. Customers and staff will respect you for it.
Understand the difference between cashflow and net profit.
Tough things happen in business, but as long as no-one dies, it will be ok.”
Wendy Thompson, Founder of Socialites
“Owning a business is a journey; the highs are really high; the lows are really low. Setting and reaching goals is important, but it’s even more important to enjoy the ride!
Owning a business can be really lonely; your friends and family just won’t be able to relate to a lot of what you are dealing with. Search out and find a tribe of like-minded people on a similar path. For me, I found this in Entrepreneurs Organisation, a global network of over 13k entrepreneurs. When you join a tribe like this, not only is the experience sharing invaluable for your business goals, but you will get the specialist support you need and won’t feel so lonely.”
Jason Rolston, Founder of Buying Solutions
“Look after the people that are your top advocates”
Geoff Baldwin, Founder of Deployed
“Greed, impatience, and ego are the enemy of a good decision.
Success requires Deep Belief in your 5-year view, whilst maintaining passion and focus on the monthly view.”
