By Henry Brown

You would think that you would always do what’s right for your small business. After all, you’re the one with the biggest stake in finding success. However, our intentions and our actions aren’t always in sync. While you will, of course, be doing much that pushes your business forward in the right direction, you may also be guilty of some things that actively harm your venture. And in the business world, where the difference between success and failure can be so slight, it’s important that you’re doing everything you can to get things right. We take a look at some potentially harmful aspects below.

Lack of professionalism

You present more of yourself to your customers and other businesses that sometimes you’d like. If you see your business as a small venture that can’t mix properly with the big companies, then this will come across in your interactions with others. If you’re going to do something, then do it confidently. If you don’t believe that you deserve to be taken seriously, then no one else will. You’ll also want to be mindful of your professionalism, which is something new business owners can overlook. Cultivate your professional side, and keep your standards for conduct and for the quality of your work high.

Unproductive working

Some business owners talk a lot about how they’re working twelve-hour days. But they don’t understand that this by itself isn’t anything to brag about since it’s not all that important. What does matter is how much you were able to achieve during those twelve hours. If you’re not working productively, then you’re not making the most of your time and effort. It’s usually pretty easy to identify where you’re falling down when it comes to this matter. Do you have the wrong setup? Do you try to juggle too many tasks at the same time? Find whatever is holding you back, and make the changes. Work smarter, not longer.

Legal matters

You might be focused on your operations, your ideas, your business at large. But you always need to keep in mind that you’re operating in a system that’s much larger than you and that there are laws and regulations you need to follow. If you haven’t got the right legal set up, or you’re confused about your tax obligations, then speak to an expert. You’ll also need to take steps to protect your business from other companies, too. You’ll need to know about trademarks in the USA, for example. Make sure you’re all square on the legal front, and you’ll be able to focus your time on pushing your business forward.

Failing to innovate 

Things might look pretty good right now. But it’s not going to be this way forever — the future, after all, is always just around the corner. If you’re failing to innovate, then you might find that you have nothing new to offer the public when needs have changed, or that you’re unable to keep up with the other companies who have pushed on. While you should focus on getting things right today, always keep one eye on how you’ll do things in the future.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.