The Business Growth Blog by Rob Cuesta

#PRACEXPLOSION Quick Growth Tip #14: Get some accountability

It's time to stop making excuses, stop justifying why you're not making progress, stop rationalising why you're not where you wanted to be, and stop lying to yourself.

You have to hold yourself accountable for everything – the good and the bad.

There is no such thing as luck: getting “lucky” is being in the right Location, Understanding what's going on in the moment, having the right Connections and Knowing the rules of the game.

Everything that happens (or doesn't happen) in your business is the result of your work or lack thereof.

Everything. The buck stops with you.
 
When I turned my business around in 2005 it was because I started to hold myself to a higher standard. This year I've increased my income significantly despite the recession, by holding myself to an even higher standard.

So how do you get accountability? Well one way is to get a coach and mentor. Every coach should have one anyway - how can you expect people to buy your coaching if you don't buy coaching for yourself?

And I don't mean swapping coaching with someone else.

I mean coaching that you pay for.

Otherwise why should someone pay for your coaching?

Come watch me battle to be Coach of the Year 2010 http://bit.ly/af0DGb @DanBradbury 's annual superconference

#PRACEXPLOSION Quick Growth Tip #13: Is your business systematic? is it automatic?

Does it run like the proverbial Greased Lighning?

If it doesn't then I predict it's been a while since you had a proper holiday. Even if you manage to get away, I suspect you have to check emails every hour or so just in case you've made a sale or had an enquiry.

And you've probably lost a few clients by not following up properly.

Am I getting close?

I know I am, because I've been there!

So let me tell you how to get out of your world of pain.

Quick Growth Tip #12: Focus and Thrive

One surefire way of failing in business is to try to do everything for everyone, and for coaches, consultants, therapists, and other service professionals, the temptation is very string. After all, we have a toolset that is designed to solve problems - any problems - and to do it quickly and effectively.

The "problem" is, though, that no-one wakes up thinking "I have a problem, I must go and find someone to help me solve it!"

#PRACEXPLOSION Quick Growth Tip #11: Just because you've sold to them once...

One of my first ever assignments when I set up in business as a growth strategist was to help a 12-man coaching and consulting firm get back on their feet. They'd gone from £1.5m turnover to £500k and it was painful.

So I went in, asked a few questions, and asked why they weren't going back to any of their past clients. Their response flummoxed me: "if we've done our job right, then they shouldn't need us again."