I hear it everyday – from clients, from friends and even from people I’ve just met. They’re scared of numbers. Numbers make them uncomfortable and they simply don’t know what to do with them.
That’s not great news if you’re running a business.
The good news? You’re not alone and help is out there.
Firstly, let me say this: I get it. Something you are not skilled at can be scary. Ask me how I feel about marketing and I might look back at you in horror. But the reality is you have chosen to go into business and it’s imperative that you face your number fears.
As I have said before there is more to running a business than numbers. But if you don’t pay attention to those numbers, if you don’t understand what those numbers are telling you – how do you expect to be able to succeed?
Here are 3 steps to help ease those number fears:
Step 1
Seek help. We’re not saying lie down on a psychologist’s couch, rather that you don’t need to figure this out on your own. There are many people out there that are great at numbers and great at explaining them. Find someone you can trust who can help you with this. This person doesn’t need to be your accountant or bookkeeper but ideally it should be.
Step 2
Create some space in your life for education. Often in business we rush from Task A to Task B – never stopping to review what we are doing. This must change. You won’t learn if you don’t give yourself time to learn. Use the person you found in Step 1 for education sessions, not just business performance review and planning sessions. These are different things.
Step 3
Break free from the fear. Use the education in Step 2 to know what is going on in your business. It doesn’t mean you have to “do” the numbers (give that to someone who’s skilled at it) but al least you now understand how all those numbers work.
That’s it – just 3 easy steps to ease your fears.
There’s a saying in business: Delegate don’t Abdicate.
This applies to your numbers too. Even if you’re not actively “doing” the numbers, you still need to review what the numbers say on a frequent basis. Make time for it. Each week. Apply the knowledge from Step 2 and start to grow your dream business.
