In 2016, achieve your personal best in business

 

Establishing good habits, like an elite athlete – could be the difference between a profitable year and a record breaking year.

Our most recent spotlight on success  focussed on Nicola Pitticas, elite athlete and award winning entrepreneurial business owner.  Nicola’s aptitude, drive and vision underpinned by her dedication to clients set me thinking about the habits of elite athletes.

I realized that athletes’ dedication to winning mirrors many attributes common to award winning business owners.

Read on to discover how the 7 habits of elite athletes applied to your business practice could result in a top performing business this year.

7 habits of elite athletes

I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’ Michael Jordan, professional basketball player & businessman

1 Set goals. The fundamental building block for keeping athletes and business owners on track is to set clear objectives.

2 Never give up.  Despite setbacks a truly competitive athlete remains resilient. Initially a loss is disappointing but the most resilient athletes and business owners bounce back because they analyse their form, make changes and come back stronger.

3 Find a Mentor. Remember the year Andy Murray won Wimbledon?  That was the year he was coached by his idol Ivan Lendl. Business leaders inspire and coach the same way any top sports coach does.  Find someone you admire, with an outside perspective. It could be a friend, industry leader, LinkedIn forum member or someone on your networking circuit.

4 Study hard. Top athletes immerse themselves in every aspect of sporting theory and practice. That’s the difference between a good athlete and an elite athlete. Look at Michael Jordan who studied the science behind his training to become the top basketball player, then even turned his career into a business.  Stay ahead of the competition with continuous learning and gain in-depth knowledge of your own business, customers and industry.

5 Focus on minor details. Athletes scrutinise every detail of their training and watch past performances over and over again.  Spotting even the smallest faults and making minor changes will make a difference to overall performance in business too.

6 No excuses. No matter the weather, losses or being injured athletes will still get up the next day and find a way to train better and stay in competitive shape.

7 Plan! “It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” Paul “Bear” Bryant, former American football player and top coach

Think about businesses you’ve heard of that allowed a few minor slips in say service or security and how quickly their reputation was damaged and profits started spiralling downwards. Like a top athlete scrutinise every detail of your business and avoid any costly slip ups.

At Murrison & Wilson we understand taking care of every aspect of your business can be difficult on a day to day business.

That’s where we can help. Mentoring business owners and developing robust business plans that transform businesses.

We invest in the latest accounting software so you don’t have to. Our clients log in anytime, anywhere to access and analyse business. Working closely with clients we look at the detail, spot areas for change and recommend next steps that continue to improve performance.

If you’re looking for business advice or tax planning to take your business to the next level call on 0141 290 0262 or email  or connect via LinkedIn or Twitter.

All the best

Simon Murrison

CA

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