Today's post is actually an excerpt of my eBook: Plan to Profit, LaShanda's Blueprint to Online Marketing Success
At some point in time every entrepreneur has to create a plan. Whether they are brainstorming an idea or putting together a promotion, some sort of action plan is developed. I believe that all plans, even the bad ones are good, simply because you took the time to think them up and write them down. More often than not the issue is not the actual plan, but the personality of the person who creates it! Here are a few Plan-to-Profit Personality types of people who almost always fail to turn their plan into profit.
1. The Procrastinator is the absolute worst at turning a plan into profit; always putting work off for another day and that day never comes. She is often too busy, too tired, too flustered, too distracted, too depressed, or too broke to get anything done. Truth be told, life is always going to throw obstacles at you and your dreams. When times of crisis throw you off your path to success, you have to put on your blinders and tunnel your way through!
2. The Worrywart can’t seem to get anything off the ground because she is too worried about what might go wrong. She doesn’t want to get sued or overwhelmed by too many clients. She is certain every idea is going to go wrong so she never gives herself the chance to do anything right. Making informed decisions is a good way to run your business, but there is such a thing as being too cautious. Sometimes some fears are unwarranted and based more on personal insecurity than truth.
3. The Perfectionist is similar to the Worrywart in that she hates when things go wrong so she works tirelessly to make sure everything is perfect. More often than not her efforts are no better than that of a Procrastinator, because neither of them seem to make any real progress. The main difference between the two is that the Perfectionist actually works. Here issue is that she seldom puts her work out there because she believes it is never ‘quite good enough’. The reality is that perfect never comes. Even the work of the most successful entrepreneurs is always going to be a work in progress.
4. The Bi-Polar Bee struggles because she is usually at a very high point or very low point. On a good day she is full of energy; she starts projects and makes some progress. Then a bad day comes, and all her efforts are stunted. She loses interest in an idea. She tells herself she is not good enough or her product will never work. She gains momentum when she looks at the success of others, but jumps in the midst of challenge or criticism. Every entrepreneur will have good days and bad days. We don’t all start off at the same time and our tracks are quite unique. Progress isn’t achieved when you start projects, but when you see them to the end. Don’t let self doubt or out-side forces deter you from consistently putting 100% into your business.
5. The Sprint Entrepreneur is similar to the Bi-Polar Bee in that she works for a short period of time and then stops working for a long period of time. Time Management is as important to your business as your products, services, and profit. You have to be consistent all the time and work regularly on your business. You have to schedule your tasks for the day, your agenda for the week and goals for the year. Working sporadically is never going to get you where you want to be.
6. The Nomad is always on the move. She starts a new business venture all the time and quickly moves on to a new one at the first side of distress and/or slow sales. She starts multiple projects at once, invests in Turn-Key Operations, and can’t seem to define her goals beyond having a desire to make money. Her issue is failing to understand that successful businesses are not easy to start and they do not grow overnight. Successful businesses are all built on the same foundation; passion, skill, consistency, innovation, time and demand. If you never take the time to build one business or figure out where your passion lies, you will never get very far.
7. The Dreamer is really just an Innovative Procrastinator. They think about new business ventures or talk partnership with friends and associates, but nothing ever pans out. The dreams often lose their luster. She changes focus or gets flustered when asked to develop a detailed plan. Dreams are nice, but they are not real. Real Businesses are built on detailed plans and extensive research. At some point every dreamer has to wake up or find themselves lost in a nightmare.
8. The Non-Believer desperately wants to be an entrepreneur but sadly cannot see herself in business for herself. Her fears and insecurities almost always out-weigh her goals and plans. Her biggest challenge is getting rid of self-defeating beliefs. Until that point she will remain frustrated with herself. To some degree every successful entrepreneur is cocky because they have to be. In order to make it in business you must be assertive, out-spoken, and confident.
9. The Copy Cat entrepreneur always feels unsuccessful because they can never develop an original thought or figure out how to effectively integrate someone else’s business strategies into her own business. She is easily mesmerized by the progress of others. With little regard for understanding the details or using someone else’s material, she is quick to claim an idea has her own. Her flaw is failing to understand that every business is unique because their owner is unique. If you want to successful incorporate someone else system into your business you have to take the time to learn it all and figure out what content work best for your audience.
10. The ignorant entrepreneur is stubborn and stuck. In spite of the fact that she never get the results that she wants, she is determined to do it her way even when her way is wrong. Successful entrepreneurs have to be open to a few things: change, criticism and coaching. When Plan A doesn’t work, switch to Plan B. When someone gives you constructive criticism, be open to suggestions. Don’t get defensive or take things personally. Business is not personal, it is business. Last but not least, you have to be open to coaching. Whether you choose to be a Do-It-Yourself Entrepreneur or CEO in Training, you have to consult industry experts if you want to take your business to the next level.
What is your Plan to Profit Personality? If you are guilty of some or all of the bad habits listed above, then the first thing you need to do is get rid of your bad habits. On the flip side, there are entrepreneurs with Plan-to-Profit Personality types that almost always know how to turn any plan into success. These people tend to be...
Read all my Plan to Profit Strategies. Download my eBook: Plan to Profit, LaShanda's Blueprint to Online Marketing Success
You need to be a member of Black Business Women Online to add comments!
Replies