Dayo Olofin
The way the world is set up today, entrepreneurs face many challenges in the super-competitive business world, and volumes have been written about how to overcome them.
Fortunately, the digital age has also blessed entrepreneurs with more ways to solving those problems than ever before.
Listed below are top 4 most common challenges faced by entrepreneurs today. Also, why each problem exists and solutions to them are discussed.
1. Finance Management
The challenge here is that even though cash flow is essential to every small business’ survival, many entrepreneurs still find it hard to pay their bills.
Also, when it comes to capital, the source that you pick matters. Going along with family and friends will most likely be easier but may not motivate you to see the errors in your business plan.
The solution here is to keep expenses on the low, find affordable suppliers and then use wise but pocket friendly sales tactics. Also, cut down on luxuries.
2. Hiring The Right People
For entrepreneurs who hire people to fill in certain roles in their business, the hiring process can be so hard and time consuming. From reviewing resumes to sitting through interviews and sifting through so many unqualified candidates to find the diamonds in the rough, can take several days of your time.
The solution to this is to be exclusive. You can save yourself a ton of time by pre-qualifying candidates through exclusive help wanted ads that are ultra-specific in what it takes to be hired at your firm, as well as what the day-to-day work entails.
Also, taking the time to seek real references is important. You don’t have to go for the neighbor lady your candidates grew up with, but people who can honestly attest to their work ethic and potential. Once you’ve picked a candidate and before you’ve made a job offer, ask them specifically what it will take to keep them employed with you long-term.
3. Time Management
For most business owners who wear many hats, managing their time might be the biggest problem they face. If you only had more time, you could accomplish so much more, right?
The obvious solution here is to make time. You have to be smart about how you’re spending your 24 hours daily. This can be achieved by creating a goal list which can be broken down into annual, monthly, weekly and even daily goals.
Another solution will be to eliminate any task or activity that doesn’t align with your business objectives and goals. Also, if a task doesn’t necessarily have to be completed by you, you can delegate them to your employees.
Lastly, you need to ask yourself this question at crucial times: “Is what I’m doing right now the absolute best use of my time?”
