10 Reasons Small Businesses Fail

There are times businesses fail, and even when you feel you have done everything right, things go wrong. The odds of a business achieving success are low; that is why it is important to pay attention to every detail required to run a business. If you can stay clear of the mistakes of business owners discussed below, your business is far more likely to be around for a long time.

“There are no disasters in business that you can’t avoid if you see them coming and make the adjustments.” –Boune T. Pickens. Jr.

1. They lack focus

There should be a clear objective regarding the direction a business is going and where it should be within a proposed timeframe. Many fail to understand this concept and pursue several objectives at once. It is better to have a core vision and steer your employees in that direction.

2. They make poor decisions

Businesses succeed because of smart decisions. It is important to avoid poor decisions if you want your business to last and make money. It is better to get as much information and review it meticulously than to make hasty judgements based on too little data. Perhaps you should try to draw up worst case scenarios and discuss them with your advisory team before taking any action.

3. They lack the ability to adapt to changes

Change is constant, and we live in a technological age where change happens every second. To survive as a business, you have to constantly adapt and improve your strengths to meet with the demands before you. You can’t be stagnant and expect success.

4. They maintain poor leadership

Every successful business needs the right leadership to continually challenge its people to step out of their comfort zones and seek answers. You can be kind and compassionate, but that won’t yield results if you do not challenge your people.

5. They have fierce competition

Competition is a certainty in business. But sometimes, competition can be so fierce that you are forced to shut down your business. Competition shouldn’t create fear, but should challenge you to get better and stand out from the crowd.

6. They stay in the wrong location

Location is pivotal to how far a business can go. You cannot be located close to a fierce competitor and expect to succeed. When choosing a location, it is better to make sure it is going to work towards your advantage. Consider the road network, accessibility, proximity to your clients, population, and demographics.

7. They lack the required skills

For your business to succeed, you have to have the right employees who are skilled and can help execute the mission of the company. According to Warren Buffet, “Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing.” To be successful in your business, you need the right experience and knowledge to make the business sustainable.

8. They delegate duties poorly

Money is always tight during the start-up stage. It is better to outsource or delegate duties to the right personnel. Rather than being a “do it all” kind of boss, you should focus on your strengths and delegate other duties to professionals that can execute them appropriately and maximize the output of your business.

9. They lack sufficient capital

There is a reason why business owners seek funding from investors and venture capitalists. Money and cash flow is the life blood of every business. No matter how great your business idea or product may be, without the capital and profitability of the business, you won’t be able to take your business to the next level and attain success.

10. They don’t have enough credit

Another reason businesses fail is because money for its services or products is not promptly payed by customers. You do not need bad debts when running a business. Cash flow is important to running a business; making sure your customers are loyal and consistent in paying you is advantageous to the long term success of your business.

Featured photo credit: http://www.flickr.com via flickr.com

The post 10 Reasons Small Businesses Fail appeared first on Lifehack.