Setup For Success

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Setup For Success
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• This month, we sat down with successful
  entrepreneur, Richard Bell. He is currently CEO
  of Little Zaks Academy with over 300 staff, and
  the Founder of Business Leaderz Group and
  received Sydneys Young Entrepreneur of the Year
  Award in the Finance category in 2020. Each year
  he mentors 20 businesses on a monthly basis we
  asked him about what makes the difference to
  surviving versus thriving in the current market
  conditions

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• Rich, what are your thoughts on what small
  business owners are going through right now?
• Covid has been challenging for a lot of us. Its
  probably challenged your ideas about life, ideas
  about business, your goals, your values, how you
  think about things, but dont let it change your
  course. Its so easy to get thrown off by
  something external whether its a global
  pandemic, economic downturn, massive change in
  trade rules or government policy its important
  that you as the business owner stay true to your
  course and your vision of when you started this
  thing in the first place whatever it is.

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• 1. Business success does not happen by accident,
  it is planned and executed
• Get your bearings right and identify what true
  north is for you and your company. Think about
  every aspect and almost do a full day strategy
  and planning session where you look at do you
  have the right people on your team, are you
  positioned properly within the market, are you
  actually solving a problem currently, does the
  current trajectory of the business point towards
  where you actually want to be? What do you need
  to start doing, stop doing, do more of, do less
  of?

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• 2. A successful business is the outcome of 1000
  small things done well. Not one big seismic win
  or failure. Its every decision, detail, process,
  plan and strategy that counts.
• Once you identify what direction the business
  needs to be heading in, its then time to map it
  all out, put a 12-month operational plan
  together, make sure you have the right people on
  the bus, you have clearly set the rules for the
  game (your company values) and everyone is
  pulling in the same direction. Map out every key
  project with the actions and who is responsible
  for completing those and get to work.

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• 3. Your business growth is directly
  proportionate to your level of thinking as a
  leader.
• Nobody in this world is perfect, we all have our
  strengths and our blind spots. But to be a
  leader, you need people who believe in your
  vision, your passion and your skillset to lead
  them to where they want to go. And for some
  people, this means upskilling in order to get
  that certainty. I would be lying if I said I
  managed to accomplish everything I have by
  myself, Ive had multiple mentors and coaches
  that have influenced me. Ive learnt that
  business growth is directly correlated with your
  ability to surround yourself with the right
  people.

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• What is the message youd like to leave small
  business owners with?
• I know of hundreds of businesses that have had to
  pivot, close, change their entire business plan
  completely during the last one to two years, me
  included, but what hasnt changed is the
  commitment to the course.

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• As we start to come out of COVID, I want to leave
  a message to all the business owners that your
  vision still matters and that you still have that
  fire inside of you. If you have a business think
  about what you can do over the next 6-12 months
  to turn things around, to move the needle
  rewrite your business plans, hire new people,
  raise more funds, expand, grow dont let the
  last two years throw you off what may be for some
  of you a 10-20 year plan.
• Stay the course, youve got enough passion,
  youve got enough grit, you started this thing
  make sure you finish it.

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• Rich runs Leaderz Club for businesses that are
  looking to have their best year in business yet.
  If you would like more information about Richs
  Leaderz Club, you can see more information here .
• https//www.ikeep.com.au/