Your CEO survival guide! 10 mistakes you don’t want to make in your business
You had an idea.
You launched a business.
Your grand opening was a success.
You are officially a CEO.
Congratulations!
That was the easy part. Now the hard part…
Sales
Marketing
Bookkeeping
Admin
All the things!
🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
We’re not the Debbie Downer type, so of course we have good news!
It doesn't have to be hard. As long as YOU don’t make it hard on yourself.
Being the CEO of your company is exciting but it also comes with making all the decisions.
That also means making decisions that will be beneficial to YOU as well as your business.
You are going to have a few bumps along the way which is totally ok, and could even be a good thing, as long as you learn from them.
Here are 10 mistakes to avoid so you can continue being the successful CEO you are meant to be:
1. Trying to do everything yourself
No one says you can’t do everything yourself. You most certainly can. But why would you want to? You’re one person, and wearing all the hats can only be sustainable for so long before it starts taking a toll on your business.
You started a business for your expertise.
It will become very hard to scale your business (and do the parts you love) if you’re spending all your time doing all the other sh!t You need to focus on the area that only you can do!
It’s time to delegate.
2. Being impatient
Building a successful business takes time. We live in a world where everything seems instant, but real, sustainable growth doesn’t happen overnight.
Rome was not built in a day! Patience is key.
Stick with your plan, pivot where needed, but don’t expect to go from zero to hero in a month.
Have confidence and trust the process.
3. Not learning from mistakes
Mistakes are going to happen—it's inevitable. But it's actually a good thing.
What’s important is that you learn from them. You can’t perfect anything without those mistakes. Show yourself some compassion and use those moments as opportunities to grow.
Every mistake is a chance to refine your processes, improve your products, and ultimately strengthen your business.
4. Not setting boundaries
Boundaries are essential to maintain both your sanity and the health of your business.
Not every opportunity is a good opportunity.
Sometimes, you’ll need to say “no” to clients, projects, or partnerships that aren’t the right fit for your business. Don’t let clients or team members overstep. Set clear expectations for work hours, availability, and project scope. Burn out is not a badge of honour!
Ensure your business runs smoothly without jeopardizing your quality of life!
5. Not taking time off
Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint. If you don’t take time off to recharge, you’ll quickly burn out and you may even lose the passion you once had for your business.
Make sure to schedule regular breaks and take time away from your business. Pushing through instead of taking the time you need can actually be counterproductive, creating unnecessary mistakes, potentially having to redo all the work you have done, or worse, you compromise your quality of work.
Take the walk, read the book, or take the trip. You’ll come back with a fresh perspective and the energy you need to keep moving forward.
6. Neglecting feedback
Your customers are the lifeline of your business. Ignoring their feedback, whether positive or negative, can cost you later.
Negative feedback doesn’t have to be a bad thing. On the contrary, it lets you see your business through the eyes of someone from the outside. Getting different perspectives can ensure you are satisfying all angles and working towards meeting the needs of your clients and customers.
You can’t address an area if you don’t know there is a problem. You also can’t make changes or pivot when you don’t know where your trouble areas are.
When you get positive feedback this also helps you to see what parts are working and continue innovating in that direction.
7. Failing to innovate
I love the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, but it doesn’t apply to your business if you’re looking to grow.
Stagnation is the enemy of growth.
This isn’t to say you need to create new products and courses every month. But with a rapidly changing marketplace you need to be able to stay relevant, useful and modern in your industry.
Whether you need to improve your processes, adopt a new system, or update your products/services, staying present with the times will keep you going in the right direction to maintain your success.
8. Overloading on tools and apps
Yes tools and systems increase efficiency, but it is possible to overdo it!
Having too many tools can create confusion, not to mention wasted money if you’re not using them properly! Having a million different tools that do the same thing can overwhelm you and your team and slow down productivity.
Choose tools that meet specific needs to simplify your operations. And remember, you don’t need the app just because everyone else has the app!!
Story time… (yes, quick detour… I promise it’s brief)
Remember all the hype about Threads when it first came out? Everyone was in a frenzy to create an account and get established on it. Not us! We didn’t feel there was any need for us to be there. Why? The people we would engage with on Threads are already on Instagram…
We didn’t feel there was a benefit for us - so we didn’t do it.
9. Underestimating the power of networking
If you are an extrovert, then this will come as a breeze. Buuuuttt if you are an introvert, you have some work to do!
Networking can seem optional but it’s one of those things that's not an option as a CEO.
A lack of networking can limit your resources, partnerships, and market insights. When you make new connections you open a door to so many opportunities: unexpected collaborations, inspiration in innovation, or just making new biz besties!
Not to mention, the road of entrepreneurship can get lonely - networking helps you find your people!
10. Micromanaging your team
It’s not easy to let go of those reigns.
You know it best.
Your business is your pride and joy.
You want to make sure everything is running smoothly.
We get it.
BUT micromanaging can hinder your team’s performance, undermine their confidence, and create a tense work environment. When you hired your team there must have been some trust factor established for you to feel confident on the initial hire.
Use that trust. Trust your team to do their jobs, give them the freedom to make decisions, and offer guidance when needed.
Empowering your team allows you to focus on higher-level tasks and provide a more productive workplace.
It always comes down to working smarter, not harder!
Running a business isn’t easy BUT you also don’t need to make it harder than it has to be! The choice is yours. You may think you don’t have a choice but remember there is always a choice!
Follow these tips to be the bad a$$ CEO you were meant to be, you’ve got this!
