If you go into the bookstore or turn on cable news there is always a guru who claims to be an authority on a particular subject such as business, marketing, sales, how to hire the best…Some even claim to have “the method” which will take your business problems away and even practically guarantee you wealth and happiness.
The problem with this is that not every lid fits on every pot. There is no one that understands your business and your problems better than you do. Granted you may need some help sorting out your thoughts. And when I say no one understands your business more than you do, your response may be: “Yeah, right. If I understood what was going on I’d be the richest guy in town and wouldn’t be dealing with all these challenges”. My answer to that would be – not so! You live your business every single day. You know what is going on. You do need to hear what the gurus are saying for added perspective and insight. You need to study different business philosophies. Then decide which one is right for you. Because of your knowledge about your business and your understanding of how it works and what your customers want, it will be easy for you when you hear the right philosophy to know which path to take. The key is to be open minded but not to just jump right in to what is being promoted as the latest and greatest. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. You will just be wasting time, money and effort.
Any book you read, any seminar you attend or any guru that you work with needs to be in harmony with what you want and will help you go in the direction that you see for your business. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to change. It doesn’t mean you have to learn new things but remember why you are in business and what your business is all about and who your customer is. What are your goals? Then seek information to help reach those goals.