It has been said of businesses that success is pretty simple, but it is not necessarily easy. You can find a myriad of posts and articles online all telling you the qualities and attitudes that you need in order to be a success. But with all of this kind of information available, why do people still struggle to get to where they want to be successful? Today’s post is all about how we can make our modern businesses more of a success. So here are some principles that all modern business men and women need to run a modern business.

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• Focus on What You Want

For many people starting out on a small business of their own, they will naturally want to oversee the running of everything. They will want to oversee the day to day running of the business as it is their idea and vision. However, for true success, you need to be able to focus on the aim and vision of the business, not just the nitty gritty of the daily business. Learn to delegate, and it will help your business, as well as help you. Having assistants or deputies is a great way to make sure that everything is running as you would like it to on a daily basis, but you can focus on other things that will really help you to grow. Have an assistant deal with staff sickness or holiday requests, as well as invoices and payroll, for instance. You can deal with larger deals, arranging meetings, and dealing with clients instead. 

• Increase Productivity and Reduce Distractions

One of the perils of modern life is that we live in a world where everyone gets distracted much more easily. Notifications on phones can be a distraction, as well as random online quizzes or articles, as well as emails and busy family life. So in order to be a success in your business, you need to look for ways to increase productivity and reduce the distractions. It might be a good idea to schedule in proper breaks and stick to the schedule. You might need to do this for your team as a whole too. If everyone is scrolling through their Instagram feed then they’re not going to be getting the work done that you need to. So proper break time is important. When people are just eating lunch at their desk and trying to do work at the same time, it makes it really difficult to focus.

It is also a good idea to work on an ‘airplane’ mode during the time that you need to work. You won’t get distracted by a pesky social media notification or personal email. It allows you to stay focused. Another little tip is to set yourself deadlines for things. Some work will naturally have a deadline, but others won’t. So you need to be the one that sets it for yourself or sets it for other people. It will make a massive difference in what you are able to achieve and get done.

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• Be Safe 

In modern times, there are threats to you and your business more than ever. There are online threats and hacking that is going to be a problem, as well as physical threats with the modern times that we live in. For the former, you need to think about having malware and security software systems in place. You should also think about limiting access to certain people for certain things. The whole team doesn’t need the same access as you, for example. Regularly changing passwords is another way to limit hacking. You should also make sure that the information you have online is copyrighted, as well as stores securely if it isn’t anything that the public need to know about. 

In terms of physical threats, we live in a day and age where bomb threats or terror incidents are very real. It will depend on the type of business you have and where you are based as to the likelihood of anything happening. However, having some procedures and policies in place are paramount as a modern business. You need to keep your team safe as it is your responsibility when they are at work. You might even think about hiring some security contractor services for your office or workplace. Again, this will depend on the kind of place that you work, but it could be a worthwhile investment. Other policies and procedures to have in place are fire procedures, as well as flooding or other natural disaster incidents. You never know what could happen. 

• Accept Adversity

As any successful person will tell you, there is opposition in all things. You might be doing so well for a time, and then something will crop up in the business that you need to deal with. You also need to think about better ways to deal with it. Adversity is inevitable, but how you deal with it all will determine how you get on as you go forward. If you let it consume you, then it will do just that. If you don’t learn from what is happening or mistakes that have been made, then it will put you further behind from where you were. So accept that challenges will come and resolve to deal with them with much more positivity. If you do that, they can hardly feel like challenges at all.

• Problem Solve For Great Rewards 

For many business people and entrepreneurs, they can spend a lot of money creating a product or service that doesn’t really solve a problem. Don’t just imagine one up in this day and age. People are strapped for time and strapped for cash, so they don’t want unnecessary things in their life. Take two ultra modern businesses that have only come about in the past couple of years; Uber and Airbnb. They haven’t reinvented the wheel when it comes to creating a business or solving a problem. They have just looked at a simple problem and found an alternative, and still simple, solution. You want people who will pay for the solution to the problem and who will appreciate it. So don’t look for anything too complex and don’t overthink it. Just listen to your customers and go from there. 

• Join a Mastermind Group 

If you haven’t heard about a mastermind group before, then let me fill you in. It is a focus group for people that are looking to improve their business and who are happy to work hard to do it. It isn’t just a place to network or chat, though. It is a place for people that are serious about growing their business and want to work hard to do so. So look out for any groups that might be near to you and get involved. In this modern world, we need the help and guidance from other people from time to time too.

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• Don’t Isolate Yourself From the Front Line

If you already have a pretty successful business with a large number of employees, then it is hard to see things from the front line. You might get out of touch with the problems of those roles and forget what it all entails. If you have ever seen the television program called Undercover Boss then you, like me, might find it hard to wonder why more big bosses don’t do the same kind of thing. It gets you back in touch with your workforce and gives you valuable experience. It can also enlighten you as to the frustrations that colleagues have who are a little lower down the rungs. Then you can see what improvements need to be made. It will make the whole process for everyone. Keep close to your business, and you’ll keep its core values intact. 

• Give Back

If you have a business with a cause that supports charity work, then you have much more chances of success than a business that doesn’t support any causes or charity work. First of all, achieving financial freedom and making a success is only part of satisfying the human condition. Being able to help others and make a difference is needed for that overall satisfaction. So that is just on a personal level. On a business level, it also makes sense to work with others and support particular charities. Your brand will get a good name for itself and can get involved with different opportunities in the community, such as sponsorship and other activities. So you can do good and get some exposure at the same time.  

• Unplug Regularly 

In this tech generation that we are living in, we can feel like slaves to our devices. But it shouldn’t be that way at all. Take a digital time out and ‘unplugging’ is a great way to relax and destress. Many people suffer from mental problems and not being able to switch off and relax could be a cause.

Are there any principles that you think are vital for business in this day and age? Would be interested to hear your thoughts.