Seven “Always be…” that every business owner must do

Well, it has been a while since I have written about business let alone being a black belt in business. Mostly because there are soooo many things that we could talk about and address in our everyday lives that need attention. With that said, all of those who participated in the “Quick Start to a Healthy You” Virtual Summit; we are truly grateful for the opportunity to help raise your awareness on healthy living.

Now down to business…literally.

I have owned and operated my martial arts school for over 17 years and humbly say that it has been and continues to be a successful endeavor. Over the life span of the business, we were “School of the Year” in a large martial arts industry organization, we were voted “2012 Best of Westchester” out of 117 martial arts schools in our community and just last month we were one of 14 small businesses to receive an “Excellence in General Business Award” from 914 Inc. Magazine out of the thousands of local businesses. I am not stating this to brag, but to share with you some of the reasons we have been successful. First, I must give credit where credit is due and have to mention my team, my mentors and my colleagues as well as some of my core values that I am excited to share with you.

When I teach classes or meet with my team, I frequently use the affirmation, “Always be…”. It is always based on key values that are just not acceptable to not follow. I have put together a list of seven “Always be…” that I feel you will benefit from. Here we go…

1. A.B.L. (Always Be Learning): This is key. As a business owner, the surest way to fail is to think you know it all and have a closed mind. I always have an open mind and am willing to listen and learn to anyone who is experiencing success relatable to my business or personal development. I have seen countless times, especially in the martial arts industry where individuals are driven by their ego. Their glass is a little too full to take in any further knowledge and in turn, their businesses become antiquated. In order to learn, the cup must be empty. (Or at least less full). Especially since business is changing at a rate greater than ever. Technological advances have changed the way businesses operates and it is not going to slow down.

2. A. B. E. (Always Be the Example): What kind of image do you want the business to have? Are you a reflection of that image? I believe this is key. Hopefully, you initially started your business because of the passion in your field. I know that’s the case with me. As a professional martial artist and a personal development coach, I believe that we have to be physically fit, internally healthy and have an upbeat positive outlook on life. We are the extension of the culture in our business. Not just the school owners, but anyone who works within your business. This is of course not limited to the martial arts business, but to any business. We all have to earn the right to be in front of our students, clients and customers and there is no better way than being a positive reflection of your business.

3. A.B.G. (Always be Growing): OK, this may sound similar to learning but it is actually quite different. For many small business owners, in the beginning you are a one person operation. You are the salesperson, the marketing person, the janitor and the book keeper all in one. The challenge is an operation as such is not sustainable for a long period of time. Basically, you will have a choice to either burn out or learn to delegate. This is why you need to spend time on developing operational systems that will enable you to delegate without sacrificing the integrity of your product. Michael Gerber says it best in his best selling book, “E-Myth Revisited”. He says, (Paraphrased) “People don’t run the business. Systems run the business and people should run the systems”. With that said, to grow your business you need to work on the systems and make sure you block out time to do so. This is the only way to grow without you, the business owner doing everything.

4. A.B.L. (Always be Leading): Sorry, we have two A.B.L.’s in this article. Always be leading means that you should be a leader and not a boss. I remember a staff member a long time ago would refer to me as “Boss”. It would drive me nuts. I don’t want to be a boss, I choose to be a leader. I love the image I have seen on social media with the difference between a boss and a leader. In the boss image, there is an individual sitting on a desk with a bunch of people pulling the desk as the boss is yelling commands. In the leader image, the individual is in front of the group leading the way as they are all pulling the desk together. That is how I view myself. As a leader, you have to be diligent in keeping your team inspired and motivated to do the responsibilities they have. In order for you to expect your team to hold high standards, you must do the same. The best way to do that is to follow A.B.E and Always be the Example.

5. A.B.G. (Always be Grateful): Yikes, now there are two A.B.G.’s in the article as well. Sorry about that. Well, gratitude is one of the most important feelings we could have when it comes to your business. I am a firm believer of the “Law of Attraction” which in layman’s terms means, “Like attracts like”. Thoughts and feelings head out in to the universe and you attract what you think about to your life. Have you ever seen someone who is always negative attracting more negative into their life? Have you ever seen someone really positive always seeming to have a great day? Trust me, it is not by accident. Your thoughts do become things and as a business owner, this is a key ingredient for success. That is why I personally am always super grateful for all of those involved in my business.

I am first and foremost grateful for my team. I don’t show gratitude by paying them, I show gratitude by thanking them. They do the work and get compensated, that is the law of compensation and I believe I am very fair (At least I hope). I show them gratitude by taking time out of my day by training them in the martial arts and sharing my knowledge with them. I also recognize them as they are doing their responsibilities and take the time to thank them as often as I can. There is a much greater reward through a feeling of fulfillment and knowing that you are appreciated than anything else.

I am grateful for my students and families. Without them there would be no business and I don’t ever take that for granted. They are entrusting us with their martial arts education and we hold that close to our heart. It also keeps my team accountable to keeping our families happy. Almost as if we have to continue to earn the right to keep our families as members because they could be going anywhere else but choose to be with us. That is definitely worthy of gratitude.

6. A.B.U. (Always be Updating): This also an extremely important item that cannot be missed. Have you ever walked into a business that looks old and antiquated? I believe that is not acceptable in the small business arena. We close down for two weeks out of the year; a week between Christmas and New Years and a week at the end of the summer. Whenever we close, I take the opportunity to update our facility whether it be new paint, new flooring, new equipment or replacing something that has become old. I always work towards something new so they see that we are always re-investing into our facility. No matter what business you run, always updated and give a fresh look for your current clients and customers and that will keep your business top notch!

7. A.B.A. (Always be Active): This is honestly very easy for me but not every business owner follows this rule. Everyone has to exercise. When you exercise your mind becomes more clear and your mental and physical energy will increase. In fact, many times your greatest ideas will come to you during or after exercising. This is due to the endorphins and dopamine released into your system that stimulates brain activity. When you are working in your business, your mind is to active to work on your business. When you are active, your mind forcibly rests and the breakthrough ideas come to you when you least expect it. I personally find that if I don’t exercise, it is very difficult to function at a high level.

There you have it. Seven “Always be” that small businesses owners should live by. Honestly, there are a lot more we could discuss but we’ll save the others for another article. In the meantime, continue to run your business with passion and commit to taking at least one of the “Always be” listed above to implement right away.

Best of luck to you and as “Always”, please be sure to leave a comment and I will reply. I am always interested to hear your thoughts. I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to share on Facebook or Linkedin. That is if you felt the article was useful in some way. If you have any questions, you could always email me at cberlow@empoweredmastery.com and I will be happy to assist.  If you would like to find further information about how Empowered Mastery could help your business,, please visit our website at www.empoweredmastery.com

Respectfully,

Chris Berlow