Tip 18: 2 reasons why your business may never work

Unless your business is making money, it won't survive.

I see a lot of people lose sight of this fact, slowly descending into one or more of the following pitfalls:

• Being too creative
• Being too helpful

Of your decisions, you should always ask yourself: how will this impact my bottom line?

You are running a business, not a perpetual personal project.

Warm fuzzies don't keep the lights on.

The problem with creativity

Creativity permeates every aspect of business, from brand design to sales strategy and accounting (don't get too creative there 😬).

You may constantly need to explore and express an intrinsic need to create. If this manifests as tinkering, tweaking and generally being diverted, stop.

All creative decisions must be made for your business, not for you.

Even if you are an artist and creativity is the essence of your business, your primary focus should be marketing and sales - not fulfilling your creative desires. It's tough.

The problem with being too helpful

Pushing sales in an attempt to make money is alien to many people. It's easier to divert your attention to helping others as you chalk up your business experiences - and I'm not talking about helping your customers.

I once pulled my car over to help somebody who had broken down in the middle of the road. I spent half an hour with them. As they successfully drove away, I turned the key to my car. Nothing. Roadside assistance had to tow me to the garage.

I haven't let this experience dissuade me from helping others, but if I had to be somewhere in an emergency, I wouldn't have stopped.

You are in an emergency. Your business needs you. You need to start making money. You don't have time.

You're the one that needs help.

Help yourself.

Don't stop.