Business Decisions… How To Make The Best Ones

March 6th, 2013 by Diane Conklin under Uncategorized. No Comments.

It’s never easy, in life or in business – making decisions. There is no magic formula or magic crystal ball that can show you the results of your decision before you make them.

So how do you know when you’re making the right decision, or even good decisions?

As a business owner, you know how important it is to at least make good decisions. Bad decisions can be costly, and in extreme cases, even put you out of business. Not being able to make a decision can be the thing that keeps you from doing what you want in your business.

Here’s a key that should help you when making any kind of decision, whether it’s for yourself, in life or in your business. Does your decision make sense? Does it make sense to you? To your staff? To your clients? Does it make sense to whoever your choice affects and needs to make sense to?

If you use email as part of your marketing strategy, maybe you have an internet-based business and your main focus is marketing via email, does it make sense for you to get coaching from someone who is predominantly an offline or direct mail marketer? That’s not to say you can’t learn anything from that person. Absolutely, you can learn things and use them to fit your needs. You might have to make some small adjustments to offline marketing to fit in your online business. That’s not unlike most things you apply to your business. But does it make sense?

The other thing you need to do is to learn to ask good questions. If you’re asking questions to your coach or mentor they should be asking questions back. Anyone can come up with answers, especially marketers or business owners and we ask questions too. But do the answers make sense to you?

Doesn’t it make sense that whoever you’re asking this question to should be asking you for the details before spitting out a generalized answer? You and your business are supposed to be unlike any other out there. It’s what sets your business apart.

So if you ask a question, and you will, and you should, shouldn’t your coach be getting the specifics from you in order to give you the most appropriate response?

The same concept should be taken into consideration about making any decision in your business. Ask questions.
You wouldn’t hire someone just because you saw them crossing the street and you liked their shoes, would you? Of course you wouldn’t. Instead, you’d have an interview and you’d decide based on their responses to your questions whether they were the right person for you to be working with at that time.

So if you’re not already, or you’re a new business owner, or you’re just not sure how to come to your final answer, think about these things. Think about whether it makes sense, whether it fits for you and your business. Ask questions. Get complete answers.

Keeping these concepts in mind will help you to make the best choices for yourself and your business.