Steve Mills- Posted on
Introduction to the challenges of running a business
Running a small business is one of the toughest and most rewarding journeys you can take. Most small business owners start because they’re good at what they do — whether that’s providing a professional service, creating a product, or mastering a trade.
And that’s where the challenge lies.
Many entrepreneurs are experts operationally but fall short in the two areas that truly drive business growth: sales & marketing and financial management.
Watch the video here
The Operational Trap
When I ask small business owners what they know about their business, they’ll often talk about:
- Delivering a great service.
- Looking after customers.
- Managing day-to-day operations.
That’s all vital. But none of it matters if you don’t have enough paying customers coming through the door.
As one of my clients put it:
“I was great at running my small business, but we were a best kept secret because I didn’t know how to market it. Once Steve showed me how, we doubled sales in under a year.”
Why Sales & Marketing Matter Most
Sales and marketing are the lifeblood of your business. If you don’t master them, you risk:
- Relying on word of mouth alone.
- Competing on price instead of value.
- Struggling with feast-or-famine cash flow.
When you understand how to consistently generate leads, convert them into customers, and retain them for the long-term, everything changes.
Don’t Forget the Numbers
The other side of the equation is finance. Many owners don’t track key numbers such as:
- Cost of acquiring a customer.
- Lifetime value of a customer.
- Marketing ROI.
If you’re not measuring these, you’re flying blind. Successful business owners know their numbers and make decisions based on facts, not guesswork.
So, How Much Do You Really Know?
Take a moment and ask yourself:
- Am I as strong in sales and marketing as I am operationally?
- Do I know my key financial numbers and make decisions based on them?
- Do I have a plan for growth, or am I hoping things will just improve?
If you’re like most, there’s a gap. And closing that gap is the difference between surviving and thriving.
👉 Ready to find out? Take my free Marketing Self-Assessment Quiz and see where your strengths and weaknesses lie.
