Running a sustainable business means making a lot of decisions. Every single day. Some are exciting, like launching something new or expanding your team, but others are… less exciting, like sorting out tax codes or realising you signed up for the wrong software (again).
But no matter the size or subject, the choices you make can shape your business more than any marketing plan ever could, and although that can feel pretty overwhelming, it’s also something you can deal with and get good at, meaning your sustainable business can run more smoothly and successfully.
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The good news is that you don’t have to be a genius or a born entrepreneur to get better at making these crucial decisions and it’s definitely not about having a sixth sense or some kind of magical business sense that you’re born with. Instead, it’s all about developing habits, asking the right questions, and getting comfortable with a bit of uncertainty.
Yes, that’s hard, but once you’ve cracked the code, things will be much better. With that in mind, keep reading to find out how to make better choices in sustainable business, without the pressure or the panic (and yes, it can be done, and you’ll soon be doing it).
Don’t Make Decisions In A Rush
It sounds obvious, but it’s still worth saying: rushed decisions are very rarely the right decisions, and when you’re under pressure, it’s easy to convince yourself that something needs to happen right now, whether that’s signing a contract, replying to a client, or changing your prices because you’ve noticed something your competitors are doing, for example.
The reality is that most things can wait an hour or so. They can often wait a day. The point is, you need to give yourself a little breathing space and you’ll often find that when you do that, you end up with a much clearer view of everything, which is when the best decisions can be made. If you’re just stuck in a reaction mode and constantly firefighting, you’re probably not really giving yourself enough room to think properly, and that’s where mistakes are made.
Even if there is a deadline, just taking a few minutes to think can make a difference. Ask yourself what the risks are if you wait, and whether or not you could find out more information that would help you make the decision. If you do that, you might be surprised at how useful that little pause can be.
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Work Out What Matters Most
Not all decisions are as important as each other, and some are definitely more high stakes, whereas others are smaller. The trick here is understanding the difference and knowing what category your decision falls into before you make it or start to think about it.
That’s because spending too long agonising over tiny details and little choices is just going to drain all your energy and you won’t be able to think about the stuff that really matters. On the other hand, rushing through major decisions and not giving them the time they need can also be a problem. So before you make a choice, take a step back and ask how much impact it’s going to have, how it’s going to affect your sustainable business and your customers, how much money it could make or save you, and how much stress it could lead to. Knowing all that will help you know whether it’s an important decision or not.
Once you know, you’ll be able to focus your time and energy in the right places, and even that can make you feel a lot more confident about choices and stop you overthinking everything.
Don’t Just Rely On Gut Instinct
There’s a lot of talk about trusting your gut in business, and yes, that can help and experience certainly counts for something. However, if you’re making decisions only based on instinct, especially if you’re not overly familiar with the ideas you’re having to think about, that could lead you into wrong choices and problems further on.
Good instincts are usually built on a mix of knowledge, observation, and definitely some trial and error, so if you’re trying something new, it’s worth having a bit of backup. That might mean doing plenty of research, talking to someone who has experience in whatever it is you’ve got to make a decision about, or maybe just giving yourself the chance to think about the pros and cons by taking a bit more time over things.
The fact is that gut feelings are definitely useful, and they’ll give you a quick reaction. But if you can pair that with actual data and real insights, then you’ll be making much better decisions that really help you and that you generally won’t regret.
Understand The Rules
It might not be the most exciting part of business, but knowing the rules – especially when it comes to legal stuff, safety, and compliance – matters a lot more than most people think or realise.
Whether you’re setting up a workspace, launching a new product, or you happen to be working in a regulated industry, it really does pay to make sure you’re totally covered, and ignoring this kind of thing can lead to pretty expensive, stressful problems that you can avoid easily if you plan ahead and learn as much as possible.
So before you launch, build, hire, or do anything else, come to that, take a little time to check you’re following the right rules. There are specific regulations, such as the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, that won’t be for everyone but might very much be for you, and there are more general ones as well, so you’ve got to check everything that might relate to you out to be sure you’re getting things right.
Don’t Pretend You Know Everything
There’s a strange pressure in business to have it all figured out – or at least, that’s how it often feels. But the truth is that no one knows everything, and that includes the people who look like they do!
What that means is that if you’re unsure about something, ask. If you’ve never dealt with a particular situation before, find someone who has and find out what’s what. In the end, the smartest business people aren’t the ones who have all the answers – they’re the ones who know where to get the answers. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference.
And remember, admitting you’re still learning doesn’t make you look weak – it actually makes you look wise, and it helps you make decisions based on real information, so you don’t have to make assumptions or guesses, and that’s always the best thing for you and your business.
Think Long-Term
When you’re in the thick of it, it’s natural to focus on what’s happening right now – after all, that’s what’s going to be on your mind all the time, and it makes sense to deal with those issues before anything else. But it’s wise to know that some of the best sustainable business decisions are the ones that consider the bigger picture, even if that might seem like an impossible thing to do.
Ask yourself will this still make sense six months from now? Is it leading me towards the kind of business I want to build, or just adding more to my plate (never a good idea, by the way, unless you’re planning to get some help)? The point is, it’s not about overplanning every tiny move, but instead it’s about checking that your short-term actions still line up with your longer-term goals. That handy bit of perspective can stop you from saying yes to things you don’t have time for or diving into trends that don’t suit your business, and that can save you a whole lot of trouble now and in the future.
