What makes a successful small business? Of course, it’s a combination of things, but one of the most surprising is attitude. Think success and you’re more likely to have success. That’s the essence of a growth mindset – not a buzzword, but a defined way of thinking – and it’s why you can afford to think bigger and hire a small business assistant.
What is a growth mindset?
In her research, Carol Dweck defines two types of thinking: fixed mindset and growth mindset. These can apply to our attitude to anything from business to the way we plan our holidays. What’s important is the way we think.
A fixed mindset is where people believe they cannot change. They believe they have fixed intelligence, knowledge and ability and so never choose to learn, grow, work harder or develop more.
By contrast, someone with a growth mindset believe that there’s a way to achieve their goals. It might involve more learning, or it might require advice from someone else. It might mean letting go of some things and adopting others. Always looking for the best way to do things, they tend to achieve more.
How this applies to business
You’ll probably find that those people whose businesses are doing well have a growth mindset. They believe that today is just the starting point for a better tomorrow. They are keen to learn and want to see how they can do things better.
What does this mean in your everyday business life? There are several ways your growth mindset might manifest itself:
Outsourcing to a virtual assistant – when you know your time and talents can be put to better use elsewhere, why spend your time on the tasks that keep your business running? Outsourcing administrative tasks is a quick win: you get someone who knows what they’re doing and that you can trust, and you also get the free time to concentrate on other things. Virtual office assistants can help with everything from social media marketing to basic bookkeeping. Small businesses can fly with some additional help.
Looking for opportunities to learn – once you have more free time, look for places and people who can help you learn how to do things better. You might choose to work with a business coach, or go to networking meetings where the presentations are useful and give you something to think about. You might join a dedicated group for business owners where you get support and advice, giving you the chance to learn from people who have been there before you.
Embracing mistakes – possibly one of the hardest things to do in your own business. Never categorise something as a failure: always make these experiences something you can learn from. There will always be something you can do better – something you could organise more efficiently or someone you should listen to more closely. Embrace these opportunities as ways to work out how to do things better next time. For example, if you have had a nightmare sorting out your tax return, use the experience as a lesson – hire a small business expense management service to help you keep track of your expenditure, and then you’ll know things are organised, efficient and in safe hands.
You can change your mindset at any time. Instead of limiting your growth and potential by assuming you can’t do more, put yourself in a more challenging frame of mind. Find someone who can support you to set targets, use professional help where you need it, and decide today that you can put the work in, learn the things you need to know and bring people along with you so that your business is the success you want it to be.
If you’re ready to concentrate on new things, and want to find a small business assistant who can help free up your time, feel free to call us on 0800 994 9016 or use our contact form in the menu above.