If you Google “habits of successful business owners,” a strange thing happens – nearly every article that pops up on the search feed is a list. “Seven Things Insanely Successful People Do every Morning Before Work,” or “12 Things to Eat to Make You a Better Business Owner,” or “45 Things Successful People Do Differently Than You” – the lists go on and on.
Though some of the lists get quite obscure – lists are easy to compile, easier to read and they make it seem like success is just a checklist away. Despite the popularity of these “how to” articles, there is no foolproof way to become a successful business owner.
Success isn't some three step process.. Though in this case I've made it work in five. First, let's be clear - your company won’t magically take off if you take a special kind of shower each morning. 
To be successful, you simply need to be smart and proactive about the choices you make while establishing and managing your business. Here are our top tips for cultivating success in your small business.
Proceed with Confidence
First, establishing a small business requires some risk-taking and big dreaming. Your valuable business idea is worth nothing unless you actually put it out there. This means that you will need to be confident enough to take that leap of faith, without letting the fear of failure hold you back or compromise your ability to make decisions. A big part of being successful is letting go of the petty concerns that keep you from just starting.
Assess the Risk
We're not suggesting you step off the ledge without a bungee cord. Take calculated risks that will actually move your business forward. This means evaluating each decision based on its potential for success and its potential for failure. Know how much you can afford to lose. Ask yourself, will doing this help achieve my company’s objectives? If you are comfortable with the hypothetical outcome, go ahead – take that chance. Then (and this is important), make sure you evaluate the outcome of that decision. Did it work? How could you have done better in hindsight? Treat your company like a dynamic, changing creature – things change, and you will probably have to make adjustments as you go.
Stay Organized
To take these risks means you need to be organized. The dreaming phase is over and now you have to follow through. You should have a command of your schedule, your objectives, your finances and your employees. Getting your company off the ground means not letting things fall through the cracks. In business, you constantly have to prove your worth, and a well-executed plan is a good way to stay on top of that.
Be Decisive
A successful business owner is also decisive. It’s easy to get bogged down with uncertainty and hesitation, but you need to move past that. Waffling over a decision – or worse, doing nothing – makes you less confident and less able to move forward. Whether it’s a decision about your marketing strategy, a vendor or personnel, you need to evaluate the decision; determine what’s best for your company and then act on it. Don’t be afraid of making a wrong choice. Successful business owners pick themselves up after a bad decision. If you do nothing, you’re likely to stay on the ground.
Remember, There’s No “I” in Team
Finally, no successful business owner does everything alone. No person – or business – is an island. The nature of competition might suggest otherwise, but successful people know how to ask for help. You need a mentor – someone who has made mistakes in your industry and who can steer you away from those same mishaps (of course, for this to be effective, you also need to listen to the mentor and actually take his/her advice). Everyone needs someone who will tell them what they’re doing right, what they’re doing wrong and how to make their company better. Along the same lines, you also need a team. A solid set of employees will be the backbone of your business – they should be there to make your company better. You cannot physically do everything yourself, and a strong team means you don’t have to.
A successful business owner cultivates all the habits listed above, but more than anything he or she must be passionate about the business idea and determined to do whatever it takes to succeed. If you have that drive, you are well on your way to making your business work.
Check out what other successful business owners are doing!
