Many of us have been so close to making it on our own in business only to have everything fall apart at the very last second. Others don’t ever get the chance to get their foot in the door. If you’re on the cusp of striking out on your own in the business world but you’re not really making any headway, it’s time to ask yourself what you can do differently to alter your professional trajectory. An honest and direct assessment of your strategy and business plan might be just what the doctor ordered as we move closer to declaring our professional independence.
The reality is that there are numerous things that may be keeping us from realizing our success in business whether it’s ascending the corporate ladder at our current company or establishing our own enterprises. There’s a reason why so many business fold after just a few months or years, and a reason why many never get off the ground in the first place: it’s hard to run and sustain a company. Whether it’s lack of funding, not enough time to focus, lack of work ethic or more specific issues like the absence of a critical certification or degree, we have to figure out what we can do to move ourselves forward.
Diagnosis of the problem, however, is only half the battle. Once we figure out what’s keeping us from success, it’s up to us to solve the problem and move forward in our professional ambitions. This may mean taking out loans, going back to school, refining our ideas or concepts or many other things that seem uncomfortable, difficult or even downright impossible. It’s important to remember that the difference between success and failure is usually a combination of work and risk management. So…what’s keeping you from success?
