What's holding you back?

Filed in archive Bootstrapper Tips on June 22, 2010

© ktylerconk

It's easy, when talking about high-minded concepts underlying our businesses and grand theories of strategy and leadership and entrepreneurial grandeur, to forget some of the concrete steps that all business owners have to take to operate in the ecosystem of commerce. Melinda Emerson at Small Business Trends highlights "5 Fatal Mistakes That Hold Back Start-up Business Owners" and provides a reminder about some of those basics that we may neglect more often than we think.

Of course there are a lot more than five mistakes you can make in business, and I think that "top-ten" or laundry list posts are generally gimmicky and self-serving. Emerson's points, though, mirror many mistakes that I see (or make myself) at your average Chamber of Commerce meeting and so I think they are worth repeating.

• Not Appreciating Social Intelligence... fitting in with business norms are important for building relationships


• Not having a professional website... today, everyone interested Google's you first thing


• Not having a professional e-mail address... your AOL or Gmail account doesn't scream permanence


• Not investing in your brand... real business card with a real logo


• Not having a dedicated phone number... today, it's easy and cheap to get dedicated, managed numbers

Are any of those mistakes you're making? I am making at least two of them right now... but now they're on my list!