As a Franchise Coach, I mainly deal with entrepreneurs and
people who want to run their own business. I am commonly asked share my
“secrets” to success. If you Google “secrets to success”, you’ll get 145
million responses in about two-thirds of a second! Moreover, this is such a
popular search term that Google has assigned pattern search phrases for it
(success in life, business, living, etc.). I’d like to share my 3-step approach
to success, and as with all things opinionated, your mileage may vary:
1. Make your bed!
It may sound strange, but have you ever wondered why every
military cadet is required to make their beds and routinely has their
bed-making skills inspected and challenged? Here’s the secret: self-discipline
matters. If you make it a habit to make
your bed every morning, then you have accomplished something tangible right out
of the gate. This provides a positive feeling and leads to the rest of your
daily tasks. The compound effect of this simply action is truly powerful. What better way to start your day than with a
measurable accomplishment!
2. Get to work early!
As a franchise coach I hear many business people brag about
14-16 hour days. Some even discuss their
weekend hours. It almost seems like a masochistic badge of honor to spend more
hours at the office, all in an effort to show they are not intimidated by hard
work. Guess what? Nobody cares. The
issue is not the number of hours you put in but rather, when you put those
hours in, especially if you work in a leadership position. Show up before your employees and leave on
time. Everyone will know that you were first in the office, put a full day and
got your work done. Stay late and
everyone will think, “Look, that poor guy has to stay late again. He is always behind and trying to catch up in
the evenings.” If you are the owner,
being first in has the added advantage of knowing when your workers actually
arrive.
3. Learn to Listen & Listen to Learn!
Someone a whole lot wiser than me once shared this great
piece of advice. Once you figure out that you don’t actually know everything,
you’ll start to open your mind. This is
the first step in learning and will serve you well as you venture into greater
and more complex business dealings.
While these three nuggets of wisdom may seem simple and
straightforward, once you take the time to actually integrate them into your
everyday life you will start to see a difference. At the very least, you’ll 1.)
have accomplished at least one thing that day, 2.) feel better and find you are
more efficient by getting to work earlier (and your commute may even be
easier!), and 3.) you may just learn something new. And who knows where that
will lead.
About the author:
With over 2 decades in franchising as a franchise company executive, franchisee and senior franchise coach, Rick Bisio is a best-selling author and speaker on the subject of franchising. Mr. Bisio has established himself as a franchise coach/consultant to individuals who are considering purchasing a franchise. To learn more, go to www.afranchisecoach.com or purchase his book – The Educated Franchisee or The Franchise Workbook
The Educated Franchisee project is dedicated to franchise education through the sharing of franchise information and strives “To create educated franchise buyers that have clearly defined objectives and are able to recognize the right, or wrong, franchise when they see it.” To get more franchise information visit any of our websites including, www.educatedfranchisee.com, www.fddexchange.com, www.franchiseglossary.com, www.afranchisecoach.com, or contact us at rbisio@educatedfranchisee.com.