In financial accounting, assets are economic resources. Anything tangible or intangible that is capable of being owned or controlled to produce value and that is held to have positive economic value is considered an asset.
Tangible assets are physical, material and financial resources, such as:
- plant
- machinery
- office equipment
and Intangible assets are valuable resources that don’t always have a physical presence – such as:
- brand
- skills and know-how
- trade secrets
- employee, customer and supplier relationships and goodwill
Many times we don’t see ourselves as assets because of all the wrong things we focus on that we’re doing. So while on some logical level, we understand that what we know and bring to the table is an important asset – we see ourselves more as a liability as we continue to make mistake upon mistake, bad decisions and incorrect judgments!
Shawn Driscoll, business coach and consultant says: “I believe your business should be perfectly suited to who you are and what you want. It should reflect your originality, your unique point of view and your exceptional talents. I’m a strong advocate for creating a business that feels like home to you and those you are meant to serve, because anything else isn’t worth your time and talents.”
Are you beginning to see why some of the things you’re engaged in to get more business might not be working? Why your advertising might not be bringing in the results you wish for? Why your sales people might be struggling? Why your business might be underperforming?
Simply put: Your business may be completely out of alignment with who you are and how you should deliver your goods and services. Copying others only begins to make sense when you feel completely comfortable in your own skin and perhaps are ready to experiment and take some risks, knowing what’s best FOR YOU. But if something doesn’t FEEL right (and this should ALWAYS be a deciding factor) then you should not go ahead and do it.
The biggest stressor in business seems to be either working against time or running out of time. And so while this self discovery thing might seem like a good idea – we have money to make – we can’t WASTE anymore time. The questions to ask yourself here is: “Am I doing the right things?” (being effective) OR “Am I doing things right?” (being efficient).
One of the best ways to get to know yourself better is journaling. And just in case you’re thinking that this activity is not for those who want to compete in the big league here’s a quote from Sir Richard Branson ““As anyone in my office knows when I’ve misplaced it, my most essential possession is a standard sized school notebook, which can be bought at any stationery shop on any high street across the country. I carry those everywhere…”
So first things first – get a notebook (don’t even CALL it a journal hahaha) just get one! I have two. One for making notes after my focused quiet time in the morning and a small pocket one that I keep with me all day long. In the small one I note all ideas that pop into my head as I proceed through the day. Someone might say something to me while I’m paying my T&TEC bill that makes for a great article and I will lose out on the gem if I don’t write it down immediately.
Henrik Edberg of The Positivity Blog likens journaling to thinking on paper. What do you think about during a normal day? Or a week? Write it all down. By doing so you can find recurring patterns of thought such as fears or maybe that you spend a lot of time regretting what happened in the past. Or you may find that you are actually a more positive person than you may think. This is a really interesting exercise because it can help you spot both positive things and negative things about yourself and just how accurate your current image of yourself is. You’ll probably run into some surprises.
The next thing you should begin to look at immediately is your business model. Is your business a more intimate based business – needing more one on one interactions or small group sharing? Are you meant to innovate – creating cutting edge process or technology? Depending on who you are and what feels like “home” to you – your business model is going to be completely different. In the first instance you may want to focus on consulting or coaching and mini retreats and roundtable discussions. As an innovator you may want to focus on building your business through product launches, events and trade shows, and working closely with user groups.
We know that one size doesn’t fit all but please don’t lie and tell me that sometimes you’ve chosen a strategy because it seems to be working for someone else. We all have. But the reason that it didn’t work for us was not that the other person had more money, or knew more people – it probably was because it was not a good fit for our business.
Spend a little time daily, discovering the best ways to use your talents and skills, without compromising yourself or your values. See through the clutter of business building options and get to the heart of what approaches will work for you and why. Stop spinning your wheels and wasting time and money on business tactics that don’t work for you and instead step into your leadership edge and create the kind of business and life you desire and deserve!
Your expertise is your business! 