• About Us
  • Write for Us
  • Paid Content Solutions
  • Contact Us
  • Login
ExpertHub
  • HOME
  • LAUNCH
  • BUSINESS
  • LEADERSHIP
  • MONEY
  • SUCCESS
  • NEWS
    • All
    • Company Posts
    • ExpertHub Today
    Transunion Global Capability Centres Boom

    Global Capability Centres Boom As They Move Up The Value Chain

    Global Tech companies

    Global Tech Companies Are Turning To South Africa For Media And Marketing Expertise

    Innovation Summit

    Innovation Summit 2021 Showcases SA’s Top Tech Entrepreneurs

    Three customer experience strategies you’re missing-23Sep21

    Three Customer Experience Strategies You’re Missing

    Embracing digital 1st world, SMBs confid. to thrive-23Sep21

    Embracing A Digital-First World, SMBs Can Have The Confidence To Thrive

    SAB Foundation Calling All Entrepreneurs Tholoana Entps. Prog.

    Applications for SAB Foundation Are Now Open

    Trending Tags

    • About Us
      • Write for Us
      • Paid Content Services
      • Contact Us
    No Result
    View All Result
    • HOME
    • LAUNCH
    • BUSINESS
    • LEADERSHIP
    • MONEY
    • SUCCESS
    • NEWS
      • All
      • Company Posts
      • ExpertHub Today
      Transunion Global Capability Centres Boom

      Global Capability Centres Boom As They Move Up The Value Chain

      Global Tech companies

      Global Tech Companies Are Turning To South Africa For Media And Marketing Expertise

      Innovation Summit

      Innovation Summit 2021 Showcases SA’s Top Tech Entrepreneurs

      Three customer experience strategies you’re missing-23Sep21

      Three Customer Experience Strategies You’re Missing

      Embracing digital 1st world, SMBs confid. to thrive-23Sep21

      Embracing A Digital-First World, SMBs Can Have The Confidence To Thrive

      SAB Foundation Calling All Entrepreneurs Tholoana Entps. Prog.

      Applications for SAB Foundation Are Now Open

      Trending Tags

      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us
      No Result
      View All Result
      ExpertHub
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home SUCCESS Personal Improvement Self Development

      9 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Sabotage Themselves (And How To Not Be A Self-Sabotager)

      Implement these strategies to avoid pitfalls and continue to grow and thrive in your business. Jenny Retief, CEO of Riversands Incubation Hub shares her top advice.

      Jenny Retief by Jenny Retief
      Jun 6, 2019
      in Self Development
      86
      business self sabatoge
      Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

      RelatedTopics

      Research: The Power Of Meditation That Will Blow Your Mind

      Is It Time You Did A Personal SWOT Analysis?

      Locus Of Control: What It Is & Why You Should Care

      Success in business is more than putting a good idea into practice, but also about avoiding the pitfalls along the way. Entrepreneurs often self-sabotage just as their companies begin to thrive. Here are nine ways you could be sabotaging yourself, and how you can avoid them:

      1. Not showing up

      You get a lead introduction or an invitation to quote, but you take days, even weeks to get back to the person.

      A lack of urgency equates to a wasted opportunity. It’s vital to follow through timeously. And if your quote is declined, ask for reasons why, as this is an opportunity to learn.

      2. Lacking persistence

      Linked to the above, entrepreneurs sometimes miss obvious opportunities to learn.

      If your client got a proposal but wasn’t happy with certain aspects of it, initiate a conversation even if it’s uncomfortable. Because in that, there can be tremendous learning in how to get it right in future.

      3. Being a perfectionist

      Entrepreneurs sometimes want everything to be perfect before even starting a venture, then lose too much time.

      There is no such thing as zero risk in small businesses, so just start, and respond to issues as they happen.

      4. Not communicating

      Going quiet on a client during the service delivery can lead them to have doubts about your capacity to do it.

      People want to be reassured that you have things in hand, so don’t wait for them to call you. Also, lay out your terms and conditions upfront, to avoid any confusion about what is or isn’t your responsibility.

      5. Not checking client authorisation

      In your excitement to get an order, you overlook the legitimacy of the source, only to discover that the individual who ordered your product/service didn’t have the authority to do so and you’re left unpaid.

      Related:Don’t Victimise Your Mind: The 6 Keys To Develop Yourself And Your Business

      This sometimes happens with large corporates or tendered projects that need multiple sign-offs for a job order, and the order hasn’t been approved at the necessary level. Take the time to verify the order is legitimate, and get it all in writing, and minute any dispute that arises.

      6. Relying on one client

      You have a big client placing high volume orders regularly, but to assume this client alone will sustain your business is foolhardy. Think about who you are. Are you a business or an independent contractor? If you’re a business, you need a diversified client mix.

      Remember: The demands and expectations of a client can change or get reviewed with new staff replacements, to the point that it doesn’t make business sense to continue the contract.

      7. Misleading the market

      Entrepreneurs dream of building an empire, which is laudable, but not if you’re marketing a list of services you can’t fulfil optimally.

      It’s common for entrepreneurs to call themselves a ‘group’, or add a raft of other services loosely linked to the main offering. Stick to what you are and what you do well, as your market soon loses trust in you if you don’t.

      8. Not containing risk

      Strategise in a way that allows you to absorb a degree of failure. There’s no need to bet the farm in everything you do. Maintain a financial buffer in your business so that you can absorb some loss or unsteady cash flow.

      Ensure you take a large enough deposit to comfortably cover outlay on a project. The rule of thumb is, don’t invest more than your client on their product order.

      9. Abdicating instead of delegating

      Recognise that you are not a master of all the tasks required to run a business, yet entrepreneurs sometimes abdicate from these instead of delegating them to someone who is capable.

      None of us can sell, and deliver the core technical expertise, and excel at finance and administration. Whichever skill is your weak spot, master it sufficiently to understand it, and then delegate it.

      Related:Why Richard Branson’s Secret To Business Success Begins With Being a Good Listener

      Jenny Retief

      Jenny Retief

      Jenny Retief is the CEO of Riversands Incubation Hub. As a successful entrepreneur, Jenny is extremely well suited to leading the team which established Riversands Incubation Hub in 2015. She brings a wealth of experience in innovation from a career which spans the corporate world, entrepreneurship and the CSI education space.

      Quick Links

      • Business Plan Advice
      • Business Plan Format Guide
      • Business Plan Format
      • Sample Business Plans

      NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

      Sign-up for Weekly ExpertHub Updates

      * indicates required




      EXPERT INSIGHTS

      Building a vision for your business

      Must Have A Vision For Business Success

      by Natalie Shand-Spellman

      Capturing a vision is beneficial in having a successful business and can be a first step before creating business plans.

      For Simple First Steps for Starting a business

      Simple First Steps To Starting Your Business

      by Stacey Sparks-Huff

      The first step to making sure you will have a profitable business is to test the market. You have to...

      Startup Content Marketing: 3 Things To Do Right Now

      Startup Content Marketing: 3 Things To Do Right Now

      by Frank Hamilton

      Content marketing has become so popular that brands both big and small eagerly use it in almost every marketing campaign....

      Work Life Balance - Morning Mindset Practices

      Morning Mindset Practices Are Key To Maintaining Balance

      by Sheila Vaske

      Work / Life balance is a huge topic these days, and one that really needs some attention. I hear it...

      • HOME
      • LAUNCH
      • BUSINESS
      • LEADERSHIP
      • MONEY
      • SUCCESS
      • NEWS
      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us
      • About Us
      • Write for Us
      • Paid Content Services
      • Contact Us
      • Terms & Conditions
      • Data Privacy Policy
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap

      Copyright © 2022 ExpertHub.info
      Revenue Growth Experts

      No Result
      View All Result
      • HOME
      • LAUNCH
      • BUSINESS
      • LEADERSHIP
      • MONEY
      • SUCCESS
      • NEWS
      • About Us
        • Write for Us
        • Paid Content Services
        • Contact Us

      Copyright © 2022 ExpertHub.info
      Revenue Growth Experts

      Welcome Back!

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In