No matter how seriously you take your small business or how dedicated you are to your clients, perfectionism is a mistake that will kill you.
It's like a virus that never seems to go away and it can really take a toll on you personally and your businesses health.
Unfortunately I see way too many small business owners who are perfectionists and I see the way this holds them back.
I am speaking from experience as I am a "recovering perfectionist" and had to learn the hard way to let that go.
If you're a perfectionist (and you know who you are) here's a phrase you'll want to stitch into the fiber of your being...
Good enough is good enough! A colleague of mine is really struggling in his business right now.
He's really great at what he does and makes sure everything is always done right.
There is just one big problem...
he's an incurable perfectionist and because of this he is on the verge of bankrupting his business.
Everything and I mean everything has to be perfect.
Because of the perfect job he always does, his services cost about 3 times as much as others in his industry.
They have to...
it takes him forever to get things perfect! When I suggested that he hire someone as a "junior" worker to do jobs that really don't have to be perfect, he said, "No.
" His reason, "They won't do as good of a job as I will.
" Sound familiar? Perfectionism is one of the quickest ways to bankrupt your small business.
My colleague is in a world of hurt, because he won't let good enough be good enough.
Here's the deal, people will pay for good enough -- most won't pay for perfection...
it costs too much and good enough gets the job done.
If you strive to always make sure your services are perfect, this will hinder you.
We've all head the saying "If you want something done right, do it yourself.
" If this is how you feel about every single task related to your business, you're setting yourself up for failure.
Or if you feel that everything has to be perfect before it's released, sold, marketed or whatever, you're setting yourself up to never get things done in your business.
Nothing will ever be perfect.
Good enough is good enough! Perfectionism hinders your ability to handle more work, because it takes you so much longer to get anything done than your competition.
Yes, you can set yourself apart from the crowd by doing an outstanding job.
But an outstanding job does not have to be perfect! Would your clients really notice the difference, or care even half as much as you do that your work is perfect while someone else's is good enough? Clients want work completed on time and at a fair price more than they want a "perfect" job.
Overcoming perfectionism isn't easy if it's a habit you've developed, but the rewards for your small business will make it more than worthwhile.
Practice recognizing when projects are good enough, and then let them go.
I know...
this is sooooo much easier said than done.
But you have to practice it and consciously make a decision that good enough is good enough.
One great strategy is to hire some help to handle tasks you don't need to complete yourself or that don't have to be perfect.
so you have more time to devote to clients.
You'll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish without compromising on your client's level of satisfaction with your service - when you learn and practice that good enough is truly good enough.
It's like a virus that never seems to go away and it can really take a toll on you personally and your businesses health.
Unfortunately I see way too many small business owners who are perfectionists and I see the way this holds them back.
I am speaking from experience as I am a "recovering perfectionist" and had to learn the hard way to let that go.
If you're a perfectionist (and you know who you are) here's a phrase you'll want to stitch into the fiber of your being...
Good enough is good enough! A colleague of mine is really struggling in his business right now.
He's really great at what he does and makes sure everything is always done right.
There is just one big problem...
he's an incurable perfectionist and because of this he is on the verge of bankrupting his business.
Everything and I mean everything has to be perfect.
Because of the perfect job he always does, his services cost about 3 times as much as others in his industry.
They have to...
it takes him forever to get things perfect! When I suggested that he hire someone as a "junior" worker to do jobs that really don't have to be perfect, he said, "No.
" His reason, "They won't do as good of a job as I will.
" Sound familiar? Perfectionism is one of the quickest ways to bankrupt your small business.
My colleague is in a world of hurt, because he won't let good enough be good enough.
Here's the deal, people will pay for good enough -- most won't pay for perfection...
it costs too much and good enough gets the job done.
If you strive to always make sure your services are perfect, this will hinder you.
We've all head the saying "If you want something done right, do it yourself.
" If this is how you feel about every single task related to your business, you're setting yourself up for failure.
Or if you feel that everything has to be perfect before it's released, sold, marketed or whatever, you're setting yourself up to never get things done in your business.
Nothing will ever be perfect.
Good enough is good enough! Perfectionism hinders your ability to handle more work, because it takes you so much longer to get anything done than your competition.
Yes, you can set yourself apart from the crowd by doing an outstanding job.
But an outstanding job does not have to be perfect! Would your clients really notice the difference, or care even half as much as you do that your work is perfect while someone else's is good enough? Clients want work completed on time and at a fair price more than they want a "perfect" job.
Overcoming perfectionism isn't easy if it's a habit you've developed, but the rewards for your small business will make it more than worthwhile.
Practice recognizing when projects are good enough, and then let them go.
I know...
this is sooooo much easier said than done.
But you have to practice it and consciously make a decision that good enough is good enough.
One great strategy is to hire some help to handle tasks you don't need to complete yourself or that don't have to be perfect.
so you have more time to devote to clients.
You'll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish without compromising on your client's level of satisfaction with your service - when you learn and practice that good enough is truly good enough.
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