Things Happen - But Don't Let Them Happen To You!

As a business owner, you are going to make mistakes; there is no getting around it. Some mistakes are going to be small, and then some may be big but everybody experiences them regardless of their level of expertise. Now it is true indeed that mistakes can help you grow as an entrepreneur, but there are some mistakes that can slowly kill your business if you don't watch it. And many of these huge companies that are making the big bucks are making these mistakes as well. So just think about those big corporations you are used to hearing about. Guess what...they are making mistakes as well.

Mistake #1 - Underestimating Your Project or Service Time

You have to learn how estimate your time properly when providing services because you will burn yourself of if you don't. The best way to achieve this is to record how long it takes you to complete a service and then add a little extra time on top of that. That way you will have a little bit of leeway in case anything unexpected should happen.

Mistake #2 - Incorrect Pricing.  

There are different variables that are used to construct product or service pricing, but some people will make bad pricing decisions due to not taking all of the variables into consideration. You have to make sure that you that you are taking into consideration how much your labor and materials are going to cost in order to complete the product or service. Once you are clear on that, then you can work out a feasible price.

Mistake #3 - Not Charging for All of Your Time and Cost

I know you are probably thinking that this is one of the dumbest things that you have heard but people make this mistake all of the time. Now there is nothing wrong with cutting a little extra slack here and there, in fact I would suggest it, but you can't cut corners all of the time. Keep in mind that you are providing your customers products or services that are worthwhile and you deserve to be paid for it.

Mistake #4 - Not Receiving Timely Payments

Your goal should be to keep your cash flowing at a steady pace in order to stay afloat. Sometimes this can be easier said than done, but there are some things that you can do to achieve this. One thing that you want to make sure that you do is promptly in sending out invoices to your customers. Another you might want to take into consideration is a company credit card. This will allow you to stay afloat should a cash flow problem come along.

Mistake #5 - No Business Systems or Procedures.

Regardless of what type of business you have, you have to have a system or a set of procedures to keep everything in line. It's funny that too many procedures or the strictness of procedures is the cause of most people starting their own business. But the truth of the matter is, that no business can do without them. So you should put together some basic procedures for billing, payroll, collections, inventory, etc.

Mistake #6 - Buying Advertising "Just Because"

Don't just run out and buy advertising because someone told you to. If you are going to spend money on advertising then you have to take the time to track the results as well, or it would be worthless. The best thing to do is learn how paid advertising works and how you can track your progress first, before you actually spend money on it.

Mistake #7 - Spreading Yourself Too Thin

When starting your own business you have to take into consideration your strengths and weaknesses, because it is easy to spread yourself thin. You have to learn how not to overdo it and how to ask for help when needed. Sometimes we as business owners thing that we need to be doing everything by ourselves, but there is nothing wrong with getting a little help when you need it.

Mistake #8 - Not Getting Help Soon Enough

Don't wait until everything falls apart before you try to get some help. Do what it is that you need to do in order to get the help that you need as soon as you notice that you need it. Sometimes it might be necessary to outsource some of your task to other professionals or firms that can help you out.

These are some of the most common mistakes that small business owners make so you definitely need to watch out for them. It always helps if your plan and prepare for these things before starting your business.