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8 Habits to Build Your Business (Tips From a Business Coach)

habits to build your business, coaching tip

You know what people say, learn to walk before you run, right? There’s a reason why proverbs such as this stay with us and it’s not just because they’re short and catchy. It’s because they’re a bunch of well-worn words easy to understand that make a strong point. 

From childhood, we practiced taking small steps until we can take better, longer strides. We then took bigger steps and built up our speed, and so, we learned to run. You see, we started with the basics. When we were little, we were taught to get up from bed, dress up, brush our hair, eat breakfast, and so on until we form our own habits. But as time passes, we outgrow and let go of some of the things we used to do. 

But of course, it’s never too late to start anew or even jump back to an old, good habit! Anytime is a great time for improvements. Fortunately for us, we can leverage the power of habit to benefit our businesses; here are trustable tips from a business coach

Before anything else, what’s a habit?

A habit is something that is done without much thought. Like how you would normally wake up: you probably rise up as the sun strokes your cheeks, head straight to the bathroom, and brush your teeth while you’re half awake. You shower or shave. You go through your skincare routine. These are things done without much thought because you’ve gotten used to doing them for a long time. But of course, your morning routine can also include exercising and journaling.

brushing teet, habits, coaching tip

These actions are simple, yet if you combine all of them, they create a greater purpose and lead to bigger outcomes. For example, your morning hygiene routine preps you to start your day fresh, clean, and organized. While it all sounds easy, you still have one thing to maintain consistency, and that is discipline. Discipline is the commitment required to transform a behavior into a routine and then into an instinctive habit.


SEE ALSO: If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. You’ll be matched with the coaches most suited to you to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.


People frequently ask successful business people and entrepreneurs, “How did you become so successful?”. Many entrepreneurs will tell you that tweaking a few small things in the way you do business and making even the slightest changes can result in big results. The same is true for developing habits; making small, consistent changes in your day-to-day life can transform you!

Doing a specific action over and over again is important in building a habit, but you may know that being consistent is not the easiest to do. Forming a habit can take quite some time: according to research, it may take you 66 days to do so (Arlinghaus & Johnston, 2018). If you want to form a habit for the sake of a successful business, you’re off to a good start! It will just take you enough patience and discipline. 


Discipline is the commitment required to transform a behavior into a routine and then into an instinctive habit.


What are the best habits to build your business?

Given that eight out of ten businesses fail within the first 18 months of operation and only four percent survive for ten years, the habits you develop in business can literally make or break you. This isn’t some warning to scare you from opening and jumpstarting your business; it is a fact based on empirical data collected from the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.

did you know 8 out of 10 businesses fail within the first 10 months of operation and that only 4% survive for 10 years?

If you focus on developing good business habits, you’ll almost certainly ensure your long-term success. However, don’t expect to achieve financial independence overnight. But with these habits, you will eventually achieve the success that you’ve been yearning for. 

1. Set and accomplish your weekly goals

setting weekly goals, habits to build business, coaching tip

Planning ahead can be a bit taxing. It requires you to think of major goals to achieve what you want to achieve in your career, small steps to take to get there, and contingencies in case things go sideways.

The journey to success isn’t a straight line; it will definitely present you with challenges. And not every day in business is the same; market opportunities may show up but they may also pass from sight. This is where business coaching comes in, so you’ll be more equipped as you navigate the business landscape. So whether it’s a good or a bad day in business, it’s best that you have a list of goals to accomplish every week. 

When you have established your long-term business mission and vision, you can create smaller goals aligned with them. These smaller goals are just steps to get to where you want to be because being guided by just the major goals can be quite overwhelming. 


SEE ALSO: If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. You’ll be matched with the coaches most suited to you to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.


Let’s say you’ve recently launched a small food business and you aim to dominate the global fast food industry. No dream is too big, but of course, you need to set sizeable and realistic goals to achieve that. 

Perhaps you can begin by brainstorming and working on marketing strategies every week. You can think of fun gimmicks for your business to attract more customers. In the week after that, you can reach out to other local small food businesses and maybe partner with them. 

As you know, starting a business is not a walk in the park. You need to make a timeline and be disciplined when checking items off your weekly to-do list. Building smaller habits such as journaling and meditating can also make an impact on your business because you become more aware of yourself and of your business.

You can set the same goals every week but expect that they’re bound to change. When you start accomplishing smaller goals, you generally feel driven and optimistic to finish the list.


Starting a business is not a walk in the park. You need to make a timeline and be disciplined when checking items off your weekly to-do list. 


2. Make a financial plan

make a financial plan, habits to build business, coaching tip

As people say, money makes the world go round. It’s no doubt important in businesses but when you consider the financial resources required to build the career you want, it can be quite intimidating. But setting your budget right when you start may help guarantee a successful financial future. 

In setting up your business, think of the materials you need and the expenses you might have to get the work done. Will you need a set of equipment? Raw materials to be imported from another country? Travel fees? Social media promoters? After determining the costs, make it a habit to set aside some amount in a separate business account every week.

Allotting even an hour or two to assessing your current assets and resources can help assure a stress-free financial state. When you learn how to handle and manage your finances, your money will eventually work for you. This gives you more time to focus on other aspects of building your career

3. Make use of your network

shakign hands, making use of network, habits to build business, coaching tip

Business is many things but it is more about people. Making healthy connections with people allows you to share or exchange information more conveniently. You can learn business strategies and comprehend operational processes when you’re well-associated with someone in a specific field. You also gain their trust which opens opportunities for you and your business. 

Businesses are competitive and it may not easy to thrive on your own so learning about how to build a successful career or business from other esteemed professionals or colleagues can put your mind a little bit at rest. There are many platforms that allow you to reach out and communicate with people. You can join industry-specific communities on Facebook or LinkedIn where you can make connections in an instant. You can make a habit of staying updated with certain people and pages, reading their articles, and engaging with their posts every day.


Businesses are competitive and it may not easy to thrive on your own so learning about how to build a successful career or business from other esteemed professionals or colleagues can put your mind a little bit at rest. 


If you wish to be more closely linked with other professionals, you can contact them if their contact information is made public. You can also formally ask to meet whether virtually or personally to talk about business. If they allow, you can observe how they work and take notes. You can ask about their success story and learn from them.

Luckily for us, connecting with people has never been easier. Most professionals share their contact information online so people can approach them. Some of them would be glad to share some insights and tips with you. In building your business, opportunities don’t just spring on you, so establishing healthy and reliable relationships with people in your industry widens your horizon. 


SEE ALSO: If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. You’ll be matched with the coaches most suited to you to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.


4. Continue to learn

continue to learn, stack of books, habits to build business, coaching tip

Even if you’ve worked your way up to be the best in what you do, learning never stops. Do you remember the talk about why Nokia failed? Some people say that Nokia got left behind when Samsung and Apple started developing Androids. The world changes and advances every day. Nokia prioritized its hardware instead of software, hence, its failure to thrive at the time.

Think of what happened to Nokia as a lesson to always educate yourself. You can make a habit of researching your market, recent trends on social media, and the general state of the field you’re in. You can read articles or books for entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals. You can even listen to self-help podcasts. You can watch YouTube videos; there are also esteemed coaches and professionals there. Learning resources are readily available and can mostly be acquired at the tip of your fingers. Doing your research need not take long; the important thing is you learn. 

Just like preparing for exams at school, it’s not always effective to study last minute. Sometimes, it works with certain techniques, but there are times that you won’t be able to retain knowledge. So to ace those exams, you need to prepare in advance and continue to learn.

When you strive to know more, you become aware of the nooks and crannies of your business and the field you’re in and you learn them by heart. Forming habits around the pursuit of knowledge will help prepare you to advance in your career.


Forming habits around the pursuit of knowledge will help prepare you to advance in your career.


5. Stay current

staying current with recent news, habits to build business, coaching tip

In line with the habits mentioned before, keeping yourself updated with recent events and global activities can get you ahead in your business. The decisions you make in a business can have many factors and they will surely include people and money. When you understand the latest trends in the market, you can form more accurate decisions for your business. 

To make a habit of staying current, you can start by subscribing to reputable sources of news related to your business such as the New York Times, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal. This way, you can access them right away when they’re published. You can also check Facebook or Twitter for more real-time updates and secondary perspectives on the market forces that can affect your business. You can make a habit of reading publications or watching videos on the Internet in the morning. This will inspire you to come up with ideas later in the day. 

Businesses thrive because they remain relevant in ways that they cater to the growing needs of populations and be useful through the years. Staying current can help you keep up with global and local demands in your field.

6. Schedule a time for a digital detox

schedule a time for digital detox, relax, habits to build business, coaching tip

Because almost everything we need can be accessed on the Internet, it’s become easier for us to get sucked into the digital world. May it be money transfers, material publications, or communication with clients – all of these can be done online. So for your sake and your business, it is beneficial for you to spend some time away and do a digital detox once in a while. 

Did you know that the average person spends at least 3 1/2 hours per day on their phone (Andrews, 2020)? But business owners may spend longer time online because of the many transactions they make with people, which could be their clients, partners, investors, consultants, and more. That is quite alarming because according to a study, the longer you indulge on the Internet, the more likely you are to develop depression (Chowdhry, 2016).

So with this in mind, taking a break from social media, online, or your mobile gadgets can help you reconnect with what’s happening around you; and you get to witness them in real life! Aside from this, you also have time for yourself which gives you ample time to get your creative juice flowing and restructure your thoughts. Plus, the things we see online can be quite frustrating so easing off or plugging away from them can reduce your stress.

7. Pace yourself

time management, pace yourself, habits to build business, coaching tip

When you know your goals and you have set your timeline, you may feel pressured by the demands of work. You may feel that you should be quick with your actions to have more things done. But successful entrepreneurs garner and even collect achievements because they manage their time wisely.


SEE ALSO: If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. You’ll be matched with the coaches most suited to you to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.


Yes, you have a lot of things you want to achieve. Yes, you can do all of them in a span of days or even hours. But the question is can your mind and body keep up? To avoid burnout or stress, you need to pace yourself. Only do things you know you can accomplish in a day or in a week because if you pressure yourself to do so much, it affects the quality of your work and may hinder you from achieving success.

There are exactly 168 hours in one week and you may think that’s a lot but when you have activities scheduled, that may not be the case. To be a productive entrepreneur, make it a habit to prioritize the most important and urgent tasks. Then put the easiest tasks next on the list and deal with the most difficult ones later. Starting with the easy ones can boost your confidence in completing tasks at hand and allows you to work on strenuous ones after. Make the best use of your time

8. Focus on what you can control

focus on what you can control, habits to build business, coaching tip

While building a business, good and bad things are bound to happen. When something is off and when you find yourself in difficult situations, it’s important for you to avoid what happened that got the best of you. Only direct your efforts towards things you can control, and there are many ways to do so.

  • As mentioned in the first habit, the habit of setting weekly goals, you need to determine your goals but this time, make them more specific and expand them into daily activities. You need to set actionable plans for each business day so you can gauge whether or not you are moving toward your major goals.
  • If you lost a client, don’t use your valuable time on grieving. Instead, work on what you did wrong or what client demand was not met. Look for more opportunities to get better so you can attract more clients. 
  • We’re bound to feel confused or frustrated when something doesn’t go the way we planned. But instead of complaining about it, it’s good to be quicker in strategizing and making actionable plans right away. Ask yourself, “what do you need to do right now to resolve the problem or issue?”

To build your business, make it a habit to focus on what you can control to avoid spiraling when something untoward happens. Business hurdles will happen but that’s okay because you are prepared, and if not, you will be. In fact, some entrepreneurs experience breakthroughs when faced with back-breaking challenges. So don’t worry too much.

best habits to build your business, coaching tip

Learn to appreciate the journey!

Developing proactive habits with a purpose guides you in everything that you do. They are advantageous in running a business because these habits urge you to become better and inch towards your large-scale goals. While forming habits takes time, they bring about a positive impact on your business operations, and sometimes, you don’t even realize it. 

When you’ve just started building your business from the ground up, everything may feel demanding and taxing. It may not seem like what you had in mind, but you need to remember that it’s okay. Fall in love with the process of making new personal habits so you’ll feel more enthusiastic about improving. 

Running a business may not be easy but it doesn’t mean it’s not doable even for starters. There will definitely be many twists and turns along the way; some of them you can avoid with the right habits. Look forward to what good can happen. Appreciate where you are now, perhaps, how far you’ve come. 

If you are an entrepreneur seeking support in the process, having a business coach will help you see your goals clearly so you can catapult to success.  

FAQs

1. What are good business habits?

The long-term success of your business will most likely be ensured if you concentrate on creating solid business habits. Adopting new or old habits will take some time, and so will the results. With the following tips, you will eventually find success in building your business.

  • Set and accomplish your weekly goals.
  • Make a financial plan.
  • Make use of your network.
  • Continue to learn.
  • Stay current.
  • Schedule a time for a digital detox.
  • Pace yourself.
  • Focus on what you can control.

2. What are the three most important habits to be a successful entrepreneur?

Successful entrepreneurs never give up. In some cases, certain businesses may be rejected. They may fail to thrive in a fast-paced world where many other businesses already compete ruthlessly with each other. Every business owner must learn to deal with rejection and failure because they’re inevitable. They may not be enjoyable at first but just think of them as one of the challenges you have to face to achieve success. 

Successful entrepreneurs seek fresh knowledge every day. People go after undergraduate degrees, sometimes, postgraduate degrees for business. But anyone can start a business, anyone can bring out success with or without formal education. Despite this, learning doesn’t stop the moment you graduate. School just prepares you for when you step into the real world, just as people say. So if you’re building your business, seek more knowledge and skills to always get a leg up in your field. 


SEE ALSO: If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. You’ll be matched with the coaches most suited to you to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.


Successful entrepreneurs surround themselves with individuals who make them better. The people you’re connected to can help determine the opportunities you’re presented with. In building a business, it is important for you to expand your network. Find more people with the same set of goals, passion, and enthusiasm for your interests. Reach out to top-notch or experienced professionals in and outside your field. They may know people who can help you and your business. 

3. How do entrepreneurs start their day?

Successful entrepreneurs create a morning routine. Every day they wake up, they go into their personal habits which could be journaling, exercising, drinking vitamins, or reading. Having a routine from the moment you wake up helps you get things done; it keeps you in line. 

Many successful business owners plan their days the night before, but you can do it first thing in the morning as well. List down all the things you need to do on that very day, schedule them accordingly, and prioritize the items that are easiest to do or need immediate attention. You also need to schedule the most difficult tasks for the time of day when you are most engrossed in an activity and motivated.

4. How can I learn more about successful business habits?

Read more about successful habits for building a business in our article Management Advice: 33 Coaching Habits to Build your Business (No Matter How Small)



If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. You’ll be matched with the coaches most suited to you to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.



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