Envision a Comfort Zone

For many business owners the difference between where they are presently with their business and where they ultimately want to be, can be very overwhelming and intimidating. There is so much to do in order to accomplish those goals...where do I start?

Every business owner is in some sort of comfort zone. They arrived at this comfort zone by going through a series of comfort zones to get to the present one. The comfort zone may not be very comfortable, but the business owner knows what to expect in the current comfort zone. The business owner is able to handle the circumstances that are present in the comfort zone. For example, the sales may be going up and down, like a yo-yo, but the business owner has learned to live with that ebb and flow and has knows how the weather the situation.

The 2 reasons most business owners have trouble reaching their goals, if there is a significant difference between where they are and where they want to be, is not having a clear vision of what they ultimately want to create, and having no plan to get there.

First you need a clear vision. The clearer your vision, the easier it is to fill in the pieces of the puzzle it will take to make it a reality. What does it look like to the nth degree? How many employees will it have? How much in gross revenue will it make? Who is the ideal customer? How do I find the ideal customer? What will set my company apart from my competition? What is the time frame for creating my ultimate business goals? The more these questions are answered, the easier it is to move forward.

Second, remember you arrived at your current comfort zone by going through a series of comfort zones. To arrive at your ultimate business goals, you need to go through a series of additional comfort zones. Instead of trying to imagine the ultimate comfort zone from where you are, image the next comfort zone. Your next comfort zone should be six months into the future. Once you arrive at the next comfort zone; then begin to imagine the next one.

The reason it is sometimes so difficult for business owners to move out of their current comfort zone to the next one, is that they don't know what to expect in the next one. The fear of the unknown can be very stifling. So, before you move out of your current comfort zone, you need to determine a couple of things. First, what would you like to change about how your business is running or how you spend your time in the business, or some other factor? What can be accomplished in the next 6 months? Second, look at what the obstacles will be that will prevent you from achieving those six month goals. Third, determine how to overcome those obstacles.

Make sure you have no "unknowns" about the next comfort zone before you move out of the current one. By going through this exercise, you will have eliminated the fear of the unknown and you will accelerate toward the next comfort zone with confidence.

About the author:

Nigel Clayton is a business coach who works with small business entrepreneurs, and helps them regain control of their lives and businesses. To find out how you can regain control of your business visit http://Smart-EBusines.com: