Startups, Stop Sabotaging your Success

By: Mani  Dhanasekar, Founder, Hosting Raja

As a young entrepreneur, many of you become your own enemy. These words can sound harsh but truly speaking it is a common reality nowadays. You might be doing all that's right for your business and then suddenly you feel stuck, demotivated and frustrated. There have been many entrepreneurs in the recent past who were at a point when they could taste success and all of a sudden, they quit. This shouldn’t happen to entrepreneurs who have great future ahead of them.

Here are some of the common errors through which a startup sabotages itself, and some tips to prevent this self-destruction.

Delaying or postponing your actions

The best way to deal with any situation is not by delaying your actions. If you have an idea, however great or small, just act on it and apply it in your business. Who knows that small idea can become a great one day. You will not do any good for your business just by ruminating on your idea.

Priortise

Many entrepreneurs get so busy in their daily activities that they just spend the day dealing with these routine tasks. The best way is to make a to-do list a night before for the next day and prioritise according to importance. If any urgent work crops up, add it to that list and mark it as urgent.

Say no to micro management

It's always good to trust your team to do their work well. There is no need for an entrepreneur to manage each and every aspect of the work they are doing. You have hired a person looking at their skills, hence let them use it. It has been proved many a time that an entrepreneur is more productive when they are not involved in micromanagement.

Stop saying I can’t

There are two aspects when you say, “I can’t”. Firstly, you don't have the necessary skill for doing something. Secondly, that there is a fear of failure in deciding to do something. Most number of times the second option is true. Banish that thought from your head. 

What needs to be done

Always try to find positive in negative. An “I can’t” word can be an opportunity to learn new things and thus improve your skills. Hence start making an “I can’t” list of things which you think can be beneficial for your company and then start acting on them one by one.

Stop judging yourself

Being a startup if you start comparing your growth, finances or accomplishments with your competitors, you might start feeling depressed and falter on the goals you want to achieve.

It's always good to keep a check on your competitors but not their success. If you are overwhelmed by their success, take a deep breath and think you are just right behind them and you can overtake them anytime.

Stop over-analyzing the past

There are many entrepreneurs who keep dwelling on past mistakes. Unfortunately, this is a bad habit as it can hamper your journey towards success. The best way is to learn from your past mistakes and figure out how to rectify them in the future rather than just dwell on them and not to anything at all. 

Recognizing your weaknesses as soon as possible

As an entrepreneur it is important to know every aspect of your business. At the same time, it is important to know what your strengths are and also identify your weaknesses. By doing this you can get the right people for the right roles. The sooner you are able to do this the better it will be for your business.

Getting out of your comfort zone

All great entrepreneurs have tasted success after they took themselves out of their comfort zones. One should always remember that nothing great or spectacular will happen if you don't try new things in your business.

Taking a break from your work

As an entrepreneur, it might sometimes be very difficult to take a break from work. But you need to draw a boundary and give yourself a break. For a normal human being, it's impossible to be at the top of a business all the time without any respite. make time for some fun activities. It could be meeting friends, reading a book, watching a movie or spending time with family - whatever it is, ensure you occasionally get some me-time away from your work to recharge your batteries.