Secrets of Successful Business Owners

Developing an original business idea is tough. Regardless of whether it is a sole proprietorship or a partnership, exploring the market and surpassing your rivals is always time consuming and difficult, and requires constant work. 
Working towards security goes through the steps of choosing our target customers, thinking how to cover ongoing expenses, and building excellent social media presence to build brand awareness, not to mention the challenge of making a unique product. 

Everyone starting a business must do this. Everyone starting a business knows that it's important to be unique, to have a plan, to market themselves effectively. So why is it that a select few people go on to become meteoric successes, household names, and industry giants? 

People like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, and Whitney Wolfe strive to create a culture of success in their lives and businesses. This extend beyond just business practice; they create a rounded, balanced life that lets them maximise their talents through carefully cultivated lifestyle choices.
Startup September has researched these people, and found some common factors and trends they all do that can help achieve success, build your business, and lead a more fulfilled life.

• Meditation

The secret of Jedi Masters, Zen Buddhists, and CEOs, meditation is a powerful tool that anyone can use with little to no investment.
Ray Dalio is the CEO of Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, and he uses
meditation as a way of tackling all the obstacles he faces in professional and personal life. From boosting their confidence to dealing with criticism, many business owners enjoy the health benefits of this meditation. 
Green Mountain Coffee's founder, Robert Stiller, even goes one step further.  Apart from being a fan of meditation himself, he arranges meditation instructors for his employees, which helps them relax and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their work. 

It's important to take care of our inner selves. Value time spent on your own, in your own head. 

• Routine

John-Paul DeJoria, co-founder of hair care company John Paul Mitchell Systems is known to dedicate a few minutes each morning to reflect on life. He contemplates life achievements and this renews his determination and tenacity, encouraging his entrepreneurial endeavors. 
Routines help to anchor us in the present, giving us a solid platform from which to begin each day.
From jogging in the morning to preparing a delicious breakfast, doing the morning crossword or walking the dog, your routine can be whatever you want as long as it sets you up for the day.

• Read Widely, Just For Pleasure

Among the voracious readers of the business world is one of the world's richest men: Bill Gates. Here's a list of books he thinks you should read, so that's a pretty good starting point.
 
Successful business owners need to gather data, find ways to continuously improve and advertise their business in a creative and effective way. Reading helps expand your horizons, gives you a deeper understanding of the world, and offers and escape from day-to-day problems, reducing stress levels and allowing us to switch off from work. 

Here's a list of great of books about business from the Start Up September team. 

• Tenacity

This entrepreneurial ideology is illustrated by the tech revolutionist Steve Jobs. He was already successful at the age of 23 after co-founding Apple Computers. Yet, it famously all crashed down. Even though he established an iconic brand, he was fired from the company.
 
Yet, as Steve said, "I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again."
 
And he managed to return by establishing NeXT and buying Pixar, which turned out to be the most successful animation studio in the world.
 
So Steve returned victoriously. Persistence and creativity is the key, never giving up, even when you've been hit by disaster. 

• Pay Attention To The Little Details

The smallest detail can end up being a huge factor in success. Even the colour of a product can swing our purchasing decisions. Leo Widrich is the co-founder of Buffer, a San Francisco-based company making social-media management tools. He is convinced that even just tweaking the colour of a button could change our perception of an online product. 
There are many studies reaching the conclusion that high percent of our assessment for trying out a product is based solely on colour. For Leo's team, green seems to be the token of success while working on a brand designing. Yet, it might be helpful considering which colours could potentially outperform others when we try to dominate the business environment. Let's bear in mind that creating the logo which convincingly communicates the vision of our business is one of the most successful techniques in ensuring business.

It's good practice to start trying to be more observant and insightful in everyday life. Having a higher degree of acuity and understanding will help you no matter what you're doing, and sometimes the smallest things can cause the biggest problems. Catching them before they can disrupt your plans will save you time and money in the long run.

As with anything, there are also some general rules which could make anyone a better business owner. We all should aim high and have good self-control. From small initiatives like creating a visually appealing website, to hiring a knowledgeable accountant, to designing outstanding business cards, there are choices you can make every day to improve both your business, and yourself. 
 
We should plan thoroughly, even though we know sometimes plans change. Speak to customers and clients directly. Show gratitude towards your employees, and reward and celebrate every success.
Promise a level of quality and deliver it. Be bold and always aim to learn new skills and enhance old ones.
 
The business leaders we spoke about earlier didn't get to where they are on their own. While you can train yourself to higher and higher levels of sophistication and efficiency, you'll always be part of a team. Use them, rely on them, and help them. You'll all grow together. That's the secret to building a business that works.