Bob Proctor once said that success in life is 95% mindset and 5% strategy. How we think is who we are. This implies that we should give attention to what goes on in our minds and configure our thinking to produce what we desire to see. Our thoughts are creative so how we allow our minds to run, determines how we behave. Success in life is determined by the thoughts we accommodate.
Here are actions we can take to have a big mindset while running a small business
1 Set clear goals
Proctor taught that when we set goals, we should set clear goals based on what we want, not what we think we can achieve. When we set out to do business, we are fueled with ideas of solving friction in the market place. You need a big mindset to envision and set a clear destination, a clear – cut goal. The market friction you want to address with your business must be clear to you.
2 Adopt a lean business operation
A lean business operation startup approach would be a good way to start since capital might be a constrain at this stage of the business. Though It is important to start with what you have, and from where you are, you must continue to hold on to the dreams you had when you started.
3 Embrace challenges
A growth mindset makes you willing to take up challenges, use opportunities and
do uncomfortable things that will grow your business. You’re not afraid to try out
new things because you have redefined the meaning of failure to mean lessons
that must be learnt.
4 Keep your eyes on the goal.
A growth mindset keeps your eye on the goal regardless of the present, you refuse to be distracted. You’re more likely to be adaptive and resilient because of the big picture you’re focused on. You know where you are going to and you keep working like someone who believes they’ll get there. The goal keeps shifting to greater heights because of the expansion you are experiencing in your mind and you’re open to possibilities that you may not have even anticipated. A growth mindset ensures that you don’t remain small. Growth here is synonymous to BIG.
5 Think big
A big mindset is what you need to design a scalable business model that will support your ambitious business goals and visions. You need to think like where you are going to. Look at the different elements of your business; operations, marketing and management systems through the filter of your vision. Big thinking helps you to build necessary structures and processes that will help you scale the business and attract business growth opportunities. Customer acquisition and retention will improve through a business model designed with a big mindset.
6 Be positive
This big mindset fosters the required optimistic attitudes of courage, persistence and resilience needed in navigating business risks, making strategic decisions and embracing
innovation and change for growth opportunities. This implies that your attitude to work and to your customers must reflect what you believe to be true about your business; although you are still small, you will not remain small. You are as you think. If you have a small mindset, you will not be willing to try out things that will move you higher. You will jeopardize your chances and sabotage yourself.
7 Keep growing
Work on your mind continuously. Do not have a small, fixed mindset that believe your capabilities are fixed. Have a growth, big mindset that will ultimately cause you to be innovative, self-confident and creative. Encourage feedback from growth-minded individuals so you can improve. This definitely will move your business from the small business it is today, to that big business you dream about.
Lola Olukuewu’s Bio
Lola Olukuewu is a seasoned serial entrepreneur, consultant, mentor, speaker, green advocate, and technology enthusiast. With her team, she manages multiple businesses based in Nigeria, and the USA. One of her businesses is TOPAS Hub, Lagos, the most eco-friendly tech and business hub in Nigeria. She also runs two businesses in the real estate sector- a real estate investment business, and an interior/exterior design business for High Networth Individuals, which started in 2022. With over 2 decades as an award-winning business woman, Lola holds an honorary doctorate from Trinity International University of Ambassadors, and a Georgia House of Reps Resolution/Letter of Recognition and Commendation in Entrepreneurship, both from the USA. She also holds an MBA from Business School Netherlands, an Executive Masters from Project Management College UK, and certificates from notable institutions like Harvard, and Oxford. As a uniquely gifted entrepreneur and skilled professional in operations and business, she has also worked with both local and multinational companies, some of which include Google, Facebook (now Meta), and Amazon.
Being a polymath, Lola has started and run multiple businesses over the last 23 years. Some of those businesses failed, while some survived, thereby making her garner tons of experiences in entrepreneurship. She has also recently co-founded an AI company, focused on AI automation product solutions, set to launch before the end of December 2024. Artificial Intelligence belongs in the Critical and Emerging Technologies list in some of the world’s largest economies. Having worked at Google, and planned over 200 events (many of which are for tech companies), she has garnered substantial experience in the global tech space and scene. So far, Lola has trained or mentored over 500 people in soft skills, career growth, and business. She is a force of inspiration and change and is a role model to many. As a life-long learner, she enjoys Googling for knowledge, and mentoring.
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