I have long lived by the adage that it is better to ask for forgiveness then get permission.
In today’s climate of political correctness, shifting the blame or covering your ass it seems to me that a lot of entrepreneurs are unwilling to step up and make a decision. In fact, it is my experience that anyone willing to show a glimmer of leadership as a small business owner is heralded as a brave soul. Some follow…at a distance…to see if the leader is slaughtered or successful. If successful, their influence multiplies and many join the movement.
If you are that brave soul and you do something powerful, meaningful, inspiring…and live through it…you will be besieged by people with questions
There is another old saying…you can tell a leader by all the arrows in their BACK. If you are interested in making a difference in your life, your family, your community and your business you have to step forward and separate yourself from the herd.
If you want to claim your freedom as an entrepreneur then you, yes YOU…have to give yourself permission to go and Do business on your own terms®.
Ok, if you’re still not sure…I give you permission.
Change your products and services, eliminate the ones that are marginal and that you hate. Fire a client that is sucking up too much of you and your staff’s time for not enough reward. Take on a community project, support a community group because YOU want to regardless of political correctness.
If you are already in a great place in your business, mentor others. Set the standard. Seek out ideas from your team members (not ‘staff’, not ‘employees’…team members). Even if that person leaves your organization as their career grows, you will have helped improve their life, your life and a little corner of the world.
You never know where a well placed conversation, the power derived from an example or the installation of an attitude of self-improvement will take you and others around you. Be a catalyst.
BAM! There…you were just struck with the magic empowerment stick…you have permission…go do something. Go, do business on your own terms!®
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Most business owners, including me until a few years ago, don't know exactly what business they're really in.
Everyone has perfected their 'elevator pitch'. You know, that 30 second, roll-off-your-tongue verbal commercial that answers the question, "So, what do you do?"
However, if you look at your business from the outside in, from your customer’s perspective you might be surprised at how you are perceived.
For example, I have always answered the question by saying that I'm a small business consultant. Good or bad, the word consultant is a volatile one, but it does conjure up an image in the person's mind that they can easily relate to. Even in my own head I'd pegged myself as being in the consulting and/or coaching business. The truth is yeah...but not really.
By working through my own business transformation recently I have come to realize, by talking to clients and colleagues, that my coaching methods are really just the mechanism that I use…I’m really in the business of creating personalized business OUTCOMES for my clients. 
Here's my bright, shiny, revised 'elevator pitch', what do you think?:
"I help entrepreneurs create businesses that
"I help entrepreneurs create businesses that
profitably serve their owners and allow them to get their lives back!"
Every client is in a different business. I have worked with owners in 32 completely different industries over the last 37 years. Every client has different ideas about how their business should be structured and they all use a very personal and internal measuring system to determine their business 'success'. And, while every business owner wants the same four basic results, they ALL want their results on their own terms.
As I analyzed my business, I realized that my 'service' is helping the client define what they really want, designing a strategic plan to get them there and then continuously helping them overcome the obstacles that prevent them from implementing and achieving the outcomes they've defined.
I'll give you a few other examples to illustrate what I mean about learning what business you're really in:
Insurance business - most brokers look at their business as providing a good policy and excellent claims service and tout their records and prices. They are actually in the peace of mind business.
Real estate business - most realtors focus on the commodity business of selling property and shelter. To improve business they need to realize that they are actually in the business of fulfilling family dreams.
Restaurant business - most think they are in the food business. The smart ones know that they are in the entertainment business, creating a memorable experience through food and service.
Why is discovering your real business and the client's perception of your business so important? I'm glad you asked. Once you know it, you can create an immediate shift in the way you market your product or service. You can differentiate yourself from others in the niche, if you do it right you can create a niche of your own.
You'll use different words, you'll create different promises and guarantees, you'll use different graphics and images in your advertising. By getting in sync with your prospects and customers it makes it easier for them to see you as THE company or person to work with because you are speaking THEIR language.
So what business are you in?
