How a Small Business Can Boost Strengths

By Jennifer Musser, JLM & Associates Consulting, LLC
Small business owners share many strengths. However, when we intentionally prioritize, delegate, and execute we don’t personally have to excel at all facets and details of running a business. Think back to prior jobs or schooling when we weren’t expected to specialize in everything. This concept applies to entrepreneurship. 

Do an Assessment

We can do ourselves a favor by taking inventory of our own strengths and weaknesses. Entrepreneurs typically share three superpowers:
(1) Courage – to carve disruptive paths
(2) Creativity – to craft unique offerings
(3) Curiosity – to explore value opportunities

As part of an honest assessment, we examine hard and soft skills to remove business success roadblocks. Entrepreneurs often share three areas that require assistance.
(1) Prioritization – thoughtfully allocating time to capture the most value
(2) Delegation – entrusting others to be responsible for assigned work
(3) Execution – completing the projects/tasks that need to happen within a certain timeframe

We can help ourselves, first by realizing we can yield superior results when we refine our own performance.

Get in Touch

Some big business concepts apply to small business smarts. For example, Peter Drucker wrote a thought-provoking article in Harvard Business Review “Managing Oneself” in which he instructed folks to develop themselves to chart their own course. Drucker encouraged readers to ask themselves some key questions, three of which are particularly relevant to the topic “How a Small Business Can Boost Strengths”:
What are my strengths?
How do I perform?
Where do I belong?

Drucker’s view is that successful careers happen for those who are aware of their strengths and how they best perform, making them prepared for challenges. By being aware of our capabilities, we can play to our strengths.

In the article “Managing Oneself”, Drucker says, “One cannot build performance on weaknesses, let alone on something one cannot do at all.” We are in control of our careers whether we work for a big, global company or our own small business.

Reach for Help

Small business founders often try to do it all. Creating. Planning. Leading. Hiring. Running. Number crunching, etc. This is not sustainable. This mode of operation causes stress, fatigue, frustration, and distraction. It’s ok to enlist support where needed. This means we are in touch with the health of our business. For example, if we are a creative type who doesn’t like or follow along with numbers, don’t try to be the company’s numbers guru. Hire one.

Reap the Benefits

​As the creative force behind our businesses, we must know where we excel today and where we need help to excel tomorrow. Figure out the strengths. Turn weaknesses into strengths by enlisting adequate support. Then, you will set your company up to perform better.