E31: Don’t Quit

Doubt creeps into the mind of every Small Business Owner in the Construction industry in those early years. Because running a business is hard, time-consuming, and thankless work, but don’t quit! Regret is a cancer of the soul and eats away at us over time.

How you feel right now about the challenges you’re facing in your business will pass. The world needs more people like you with the guts to go it alone, and that’s what we’ll talk about on this week’s episode of the Construction MPa Leadership Podcast. Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: This Podcast is for Construction Industry Business Owners who want to hear the truth. If you’re looking for nicey, nicey leadership advice? Best you watch a TED talk!

Remember why

There’s a reason why you set up you’re own business in the first place. You will not be happy going back to being an employee. You’ll get frustrated as you did before, and you’ll eventually resent or hate your boss as you did before.

Once upon a time, you dreamed of becoming one of those companies that’s a household name and making lots of money. Becoming successful and owning the house, truck, weekend car, and holiday home.

It’s normal for that level of enthusiasm and energy to diminish as the realities of running the business kick in. That optimism and juice we had at the outset can easily get wiped and taken from us after people go bankrupt, employees cause problems, and we make mistakes that cost us money.

Once we’ve been in business for a couple of years, we can end up lost, struggling, and at a point where we’re not too sure we want to do it anymore, and we contemplate returning to work for somebody else.

Running a business is hard, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Most people don’t have the guts to do it. Most people talk a big game but are unwilling to try or take a risk. You were!

Seasoned

Experienced, seasoned business owners get to a point where problems no longer phase them, and they just handle whatever crosses their path.

They understand that there are only so many different construction scenarios that they will come across. Eventually, they start to see the same issues presented in different ways.

When you’re in the thick of a stressful situation, it’s normal to think ‘I should go back to working for my old company,’ but that feeling will pass. It always does.

You’ve got it in you to do more, and that feeling rarely disappears. Accepting what other people have to say as right or wrong is difficult. Once you have run your own business, made your own decisions, and lived and died by your own sword.

Setting up a business is like being an apprentice again. You’re going to get the piss taken out of you, feel lost, and do all of the grunt work. But that’s all part of the process, and you have to do it to master your craft truly.

You need to ask yourself where you want to be in the next 10, 20, or 30 years.

Gutted

Look at all the things you can do now, all the things you’ve got. All of the things you don’t like, all the things you do. The flexibility you’ve got, and the amount of money you’re earning. Plus, you don’t have to answer to anyone.

You have your own vehicles, T-shirts, gear, signage, and business cards. Think about how you feel when you tell people what you do and how you feel about giving out business cards for your own business.

Do you think you’d feel the same way giving out someone else’s? Would you feel as proud or enthusiastic? No way!

If it’s getting too stressful, maybe you need to ask yourself what you can do to strengthen your skills, abilities, and knowledge.

Perseverance is key. Ninety percent of business success comes from hanging in long enough. That’s sometimes all it takes to become ‘The Guy.’ Persistence, thick skin, and that determination matter so don’t quit too soon.

Today’s barriers eventually become tomorrow’s speed bumps, and eventually we barely even notice them.

Conclusion

Sometimes we need to find a new reason to keep it going. We need to get some bigger goals. I want this many people! This car! This truck! You need to figure out how to get some fire back in your belly.

Get professional help, coaching, training, ad go to events. Your business is your baby, and I’m betting you wouldn’t give up on your blood, so don’t give up on this.

You’ve already done the hard bit, so stick it out, and make it count. Small business owners like you are the backbone of the economy. We need you, so don’t quit!

Don’t Quit

What is the Construction MPa Program vs. Construction MPa Podcast? The Construction MPa Program is an entirely different beast than the Construction MPa Podcast. However, it was ultimately built with the same end goal in mind, too:

A) Help small business owners strengthen their businesses from the inside out.

B) Provide a home for small business owners to openly discuss the challenges they face in a sales and bullshit-free environment.

The ultimate aim of all things Construction MPa s to deliver content, advice, and experience in areas that most people never talk about. Most business owner leadership content is outdated and not relevant for working-class industries.

Blue-collar people and businesses require blue-collar leadership: straight-talking, experience-based fact-driven content. Mindset, attitude, and perspective get overlooked. Helping company owners transition from a job site trade mindset to a business owners mindset takes time, patience, and conscious effort.

Strong businesses require a strong business owner mindset, and that’s what Construction MPa is all about.

If you want to know more about the Construction MPa Program, check out: Program Outline Page.

The Construction MPa Program is for Business Owners Only.