Quick and Qirky Biz Assessment

The end of one season and the beginning of another is always a good opportunity to stand back and assess how your business is doing.  Here in the northern hemisphere it is slowly inching toward autumn, a time of year to take stock of what's working and to let go of what's not.

This short assessment will help you to review your business and gain some insight about where to go and what to do next. Answer honestly for more accurate feedback.

Write a number between one and four for each statement.
1- strongly disagree
2- disagree
3. agree
4. Strongly agree

__ I  am happy with the stability and growth of my business.
__ I spend a lot of time on strategic planning and future goals.
__ I have new projects  and products that I am actively developing.
__ I have enough cash flow to easily pay my bills each month.
__ I clearly understand the financial side of my business.
__ I have good employees doing most of the administrative work.
__ I know how to find excellent employees and keep them.
__ I am happy with the amount of sales  coming in.
__ My marketing is bringing in the kind of customers I want.
__ My  customers are happy and referring other people to me.
__ I know who my perfect customers are and how to reach them.
__ My business is supporting my healthy lifestyle balance.
__ I can go on a holiday or vacation and money would still come in.

Add up your score.  
If you have a low score you may be like many micro business owners and you are running the whole show yourself without an awareness of  how to develop all the areas of your business.  Low scores can also mean that your business may not be accomplishing the outcome you want. This realization is an opportunity to focus on  the areas of your business that need more help.

Even a business that seems to be doing ok can end up with low scores. Your business may be making money and helping people, but it may not growing the way you want it to or it is not supporting your life in a positive way.

If you scored  between 39-52 you may be more on track. Ask yourself what it would it take to move all the threes to fours?  Look at your strengths and see how you can leverage them to help grow in the weaker areas.

From Self-employment to a Real Business

I have been one of those people who developed many marketable skills and found it empowering and liberating to hang up my shingle and have people pay me for what I enjoyed doing. I thought I had more freedom and creativity than those poor people who had to go to work for someone else in an office all day.

Then someone gave me "The Cash Flow Quadrant" by Kiyasaki and I woke up!  I thought I had a business but I realized I was only an employee, stuck in the treadmill of working  for myself with no benefits, no paid vacations and no way to grow past a certain level because I was doing everything myself and had no way to leverage myself. This is the myth of self-employment.

If this is you then you probably scored fairly low on the assessment. You may be in the process of switching from self-employment to a real business and putting systems in place. If that's the case your numbers will reflect that as well. The first step is to understand all  the parts to a real business and begin to develop the areas that are weak. You can learn how to be an entrepreneur. It is no different than learning any new skill.