In business, think different

Book learning: Although very useful, an MBA isn

MANY people have asked me if I studied business in school after seeing all the businesses I have run these past few years. The reality is that I was not a business student and I am glad that is so, as my students tell me the things they studied in school did not apply in the real world. In school, proven and effective business process methodologies are taught to set up a business. However, after being in the business world for several years, I find that adopting a unique and maybe radical thought process will bring you closer to the road to success.

Here are some easy tips to get you started on how to think differently and stand out from the rest.

Don’t fall in love

with your business

Many business owners start a business because they love and become too emotional about it. It becomes their baby and even though changes need to be done, they procrastinate because they are heavily invested into the initial concept of the business. Instead, choose to build a business for massive success. Running a business is much like a roller coaster ride – there are ups and downs and sometimes, it is necessary to implement changes that cause the business to evolve into something completely different. Without the emotional element, it is easier to implement change and move ahead without the drama.

Get a little crazy

During our younger days, our parents always told us to behave. However, the opposite is true in the business world. Success is all about being better than the rest and to do that, you must dare to be different. Only by thinking differently, will you have the potential to change the game, even if it means exploring a territory where no man has gone before.

Take for example when Steve Jobs conceptualised the iPhone, it was thought of as impossible by many of his engineers. Through sheer persistence and commitment to his dream, the iPhone was born and eventually led to the sheer growth of Apple.

Often innovative business ideas may seem impossible and crazy to most people, therefore business owners get talked out of the situation. Next time, when someone tells you your idea is crazy, maybe it’s a sign you are on the right pathway in fact.

Slack your way up

Would you rather work hard or work smart? There are many ways to walk the path to success, and I always preferred the short cut. In school, I would hang out with the smartest person in class to learn from them and also borrow their notes. This helped me achieve the same results with much less effort. Similarly, as a businessperson, I like to meet people who are able to open my world to new possibilities — business leaders, entrepreneurs and other successful people who share their knowledge and show me the way to success. The fastest way is to leverage the knowledge, contacts and resources of others by providing solutions that will benefit everyone. As Robert Kiyosaki says, the poor find work and the rich find network. Network your way to success.

Don’t do work

Or rather, outsource part of your business process to a third-party and invest your time to high-value tasks. As a boss, your priority is to focus on revenue generation and you can manage your time more effectively by letting others do the operational and repetitive work for you. The biggest constraint of most business owners is time. Without time, you simply cannot make money. Outsourcing to your staff or even freelancers provides you with the option to get higher quality of work at a fraction of the price, while you gain control of your time. With this additional time, focus your energy on growing the business, instead of working in the business.

If you put highly successful businesses under the microscope, you will realise that they all run their businesses differently from the rest, therefore they enjoyed that edge. Choose to be different and grow your business tremendously in 2014. Enjoy the process.

Pam Siow is the CEO of the digital training company, ThinkSpace. She has helped thousands of companies embrace the Internet. She is also organising a business event with her mentor, Anne Mckevitt. Go to www.BusinessThinkDifferent.com to learn more.