Small Business Revitalization Blog

The best racehorses are high performance ‘money-making machines’ – they are spirited hot bloods, bred and trained to perform at the top of their game.  Racehorses are sensitive, bold and learn quickly. The strategic combination of the best hay, comfortable stables, great medical care, regular grooming and pampering and methodical training is designed to maximize the performance of the horse. Their extreme levels of fitness give them speed and endurance. They train hard, they race and then they rest!  Of course, if they aren’t cared for properly, they run a high risk of injury or illness and may need to be put out to pasture…

Donkeys are the original beasts of burden – the ‘work-horses’ and backbone of many a developing nation!  They will eat almost anything, look cute, are intelligent and are known to be cautious, self-preserving and more than a little obstinate at times!  They also prefer to hang about in herds rather than get out front and lead.  In Britain, unsuccessful racehorses are referred to as donkeys!

When you consider the question like that, it’s not a hard decision is it?  So how do you become a high-performing racehorse?  You look after yourself!  You choose to do what it takes for you to perform at your best. 

A racehorse that is stressed, exhausted and has lost its mojo will never win the race.  So why do you think you can win the race without the training and self-care that comes first?  When you take care of yourself (eat well, exercise, take time off to rest), you become refreshed, you are able to work faster and more effectively and you think more clearly and creatively.  Yesterday’s problems no longer appear insoluble.  Your life is balanced and time pressures become manageable because you are in a healthy, energetic high-performing space!

What is your biggest challenge in taking care of yourself as a small business owner? Share it in the comments section below. If you need to share more than just a comment, call the Revitalization Experts!

For many people, the next twelve months will be a time of consolidation. As a business coach, I see many businesses still doing well, but there are plenty that aren’t. It is time for us to consider where our real power comes from. Do our economic circumstances (and our status symbols) really dictate who we are? Or is the source of our power (and empowerment!) within us?

It is easy to get caught up talking about the doom and gloom, or to feel depressed about what we have lost. It takes a lot more courage to make the decision that our outer circumstances are not going to control the quality of our lives. It takes conscious effort to decide that we are not going to waste our life or lose sleep worrying about the million and one ‘what if’s’ that could happen. It takes a strong sense of our own empowerment to reach out to others and help them through this difficult time.

Each one of us has a caring heart. Each one of us knows others who are doing it tougher than we are. Empowerment comes from within.What choices will you make today?

What is your biggest challenge as a small business owner? Share it in the comments section below. If you need to share more than just a comment, call the Revitalization Experts!

Try taking the following steps:

1. Identify in detail ‘the knowledge gap’. Also consider: Is it really a showstopper? Could I start without closing the gap? Are you being a perfectionist? Take some advice from Robert Schuller: “Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.

2. Identify as many ways as possible to ‘close the gap’ – for example: taking a course or seminar, using a coach or mentor, researching the topic online or at your local library, requesting assistance from a relevant government agency, volunteering with an organization that has the knowledge or reading widely on the topic. Of course, you do not have to be the person to ‘close the gap’ – consider outsourcing, consultants, employees, or using your networks to fill in the knowledge/experience gap you have identified.

3. Mind the Gap! Create an action plan for closing your gap, based on the options you identified above. Put timelines to your plan. Identify a reward for yourself for closing the gap. Take Action! Become committed to closing your gaps or choosing to start your business despite the gaps – you’ll get to enjoy the satisfaction of working on your own business much sooner!

What is the biggest knowlede 'gap' you currently face as a small business owner? How has it impacted your business?  What have you done about it? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you'd like to find out if the Resuscitation Experts can help you close the gap, contact us for a free 30 minute consultation!  We give our clients access to phenomenal resources!

1. Buy or build your own?
2. Staff or no staff?
3. Do or delegate?
4. Indoor or outdoor?
5. Work hard or work smart?
6. Online or bricks & mortar?
7. Lots of people contact or not?
8. Creative or logical?
9. Capital intensive or at-home start-up?
10. Ideas: innovative or copycat?
11. Secure income or new venture?
12. High workload or systems oriented?
13. You: self-employed or chief resource coordinator?
14. Product/Service: fun, meaningful or serious?
15. Work time: flexible or structured?
16. Individuals or teams?
17. Existing customer base or build-up from scratch?
18. Your talents and passions or any business?
19. Automated business or tied to the business?
20. Growth potential or cash-flow now?

For extra insights, you can also clarify ‘why’ you chose the answer you did. Again, patterns will emerge and you will identify a clear direction for your business search. Once you have a clear picture of the business structure and design which will work for you and your ideal lifestyle, start to investigate business opportunities which meet your criteria.

What is your biggest challenge in starting a small business of your own? Share it in the comments section below. If you need to share more than just a comment, call the Start-Up Experts!