Thinking Too Small – Business Decisions That Lead To Big Impacts

Are You Thinking Too Small?

Have you found yourself sitting on business decisions, refusing to say yes to what you needed? Most of the time, small business owners are thinking too small about their opportunities. Over the past week or so I've seen several client and friends say yes to something that was truly holding them back in their business. It's so exciting to see an entrepreneur face down something that has been a block. Once we say yes, suddenly energy flows forward in many other ways, too. Not only is the issue solved but mindset is changed. We move from “I can't” or “I shouldn't” to “yes.” We are saying yes to much more than just than one decision – our yes resounds through our business and our spirit. 

One entrepreneur wanted to do more video but did not have even a tiny space available to shoot. She has felt for over a year that she needed a place to set up and leave video equipment so that she would start shooting on a consistent basis. Sure enough, once she decided to solve her problem she almost immediately found a small, inexpensive office suite just 5 minutes from her home that she can rent on a month to month basis. She is setting up her video equipment and leaving it there. She says, “I can just run over and do a video, no setting up and taking down, it will save me so much time and energy!”

Her small business decision really is a “yes” to expanding her business. Not only is video now super-easy to shoot, this woman's mindset about her business is much more open. She immediately sees possibilities she didn't see before. Someone suggested she could even rent out the “studio” for a day a few times a month and probably pay her rent. For this entrepreneur the investment is small but the potential she has unleashed by taking this small action is large.

A second entrepreneur has been stuck in telling herself she cannot afford new equipment. She sees the potential but then has not been willing to act. After many months of back-and-forth thinking about this (which in itself is a huge energy drain that could otherwise be put to good use) she finally bought the iPad she had been thinking of. Immediately, her marketing changed. An event planner, she is able to quickly show her portfolio on the iPad to prospects rather than having to meet them, go back to her office and select a limited number of portfolio pictures to send by e-mail. Guess what? In 2 small weeks she has increased her sales for this month over twice the cost of the iPad. Even better, she is more willing to spend time marketing than she was before – the iPad has boosted her confidence.

Another entrepreneur in a health-care field finally fired a long-term team member after 3 solid years of avoiding it. She felt guilty, she felt this person had seniority, she wondered if she was being too harsh – her self-doubt kept her and other team members miserable over spending time to correct things for years. This woman's stepping up to lead her business has had amazing results in just 2 months. Team members have stepped up to do the work, saving the owner an entire salary. Clients are commenting that the office is a “more cheerful” place to come. The owner suddenly has about 2 hours of week of time that is freed from managing a non-performing staff member.

You may read these stories and feel like all of them are obvious no-brainers. But we all have our own boxes and stuck places – things we know we must say yes to, but we don't find the leadership and energy to step up. The point is, moving on a stuck place gives you far more than just the resolution of the problem itself. It brings new energy and opportunity into play and changes your mindset from negative to positive. It's a small business decision but it's actually saying “yes” to a bigger business. 

So, I'm asking, what action have you been avoiding in your own business? Where do you need to say yes right now? What small decision could you make that would have big impact on your business? I'd love to have your comments below. Make a small business decision and feel a big “yes” to your life and your business. 

You can read about making business decisions in this Harvard Business Review article. And here's one of my blog posts about how to know it's time to ramp up your business.