Consistency Is The Key To Business Success

By Brenda Weathers Hargroves

If I were asked to associate one word with entrepreneurship, the word would be consistency. Consistency is the thread that runs through all discussions about entrepreneurship. Every aspect of successful business ownership requires practicing this quality.

Consistency in networking – Effective marketing is a result of consistent networking. Review upcoming events and plan to attend as many as you can manage. Simply showing up will frequently result in a positive experience. You might make a new contact, or run into someone you haven’t seen in a while, or see someone you’ve been planning to contact. You will often leave an event feeling satisfied that you pushed yourself to attend, despite prior misgivings.

Constantly attending community affairs helps you overcome the discomfort of entering a place where you don’t know anyone. You become more relaxed about working the room. After a while, you will be comfortable initiating conversation with almost anyone.

Don’t forget to collect contact information. That’s the easy part! You must then do something with it. Make efforts to reach out to your contacts (old and new) to establish and solidify relationships.

Consistency in service quality – Your business develops its brand by the way you interact with the public. And we all know the public can be fickle. If your company consistently provides the best service or product possible and is always fair and honest with its clients, the word will circulate. You are more likely to be the proud owner of a business positioned to stand the test of time.

Consistency in management – How do things look internally? Do your backroom operations run efficiently? Do you meet deadlines? Or, are you constantly trying to finish tasks at the last minute? How are you about showing up on time for appointments? Do you arrive 5-10 minutes early? Or are you 5-10 late because you couldn’t find your keys?

Developing a consistent system for managing your business is crucial. Notice, I did not say a standardized system. The way you manage should be whatever successfully works for you. As long as you’re comfortable that your system meets your business goals, keep on doing what you’re doing.

Consistency in advertising – We all know that the more something is ingrained in people’s minds, the more they associate it with a product or service. It can be a slick logo or catchy slogan. You can offer a newsletter, giveaways, or host community events. As long as you routinely make whatever you’ve chosen available and develop a reputation for providing that particular item, you are branding your company.

Remember, a small business’s success depends on many variables. Entrepreneurs who religiously set and achieve goals and possess constant faith in their business are the ones who are rewarded. But consistency is the key.

How consistent are you in managing your business? Feel free to leave a comment.