Home
>
Small Business
>
How to Avoid the Most Common Reasons for Small Business Failure

How to Avoid the Most Common Reasons for Small Business Failure

The life cycle of the typical small business is short and painful. It starts out with a dream and ends with a whimper. And in between, a struggle of Herculean proportions is played out as the owner tries to figure out why the business isn't succeeding.

Depending on which survey you read, up to 80% of small businesses fail. Most fail within the first five years and those who survive the first five are often losing money. Pursuing a career in small business ownership seems like a fool's footpath straight to failure and poverty.

So, what is the difference between the 80% that fail and the 20% that succeed? When you examine the reasons that cause business failures, you begin to understand that most business failures are preventable. The major missing ingredient is knowledge. Business owners who get expert help before they open a business have a much greater chance of succeeding. Business owners who get expert help as their businesses grow and change succeed more quickly with fewer speed bumps along the way.

Why do businesses fail? A study published by Jessie Hagen of U.S. Bank gives the details of the top reasons for failure:

General Business Factors

? 78% - Lack of a well-developed business plan, including insufficient research on the business before starting it.

? 73% Being overly optimistic about achievable sales, money required and about what needs to be done to be successful.

? 70% Not recognizing, or ignoring, what they don't do well and not seeking help from those who do.

? 63% Insufficient relevant and applicable business experience.

Financial Factors

? 82% Poor cash flow management skills/poor understanding of cash flow

? 79% Starting out with too little money.

? 77% Not pricing properly - failure to include all necessary items when setting prices

Marketing Factors

? 64% Minimizing the importance of promoting the business properly.

? 55% Not understanding who your competition is or ignoring competition.

? 47% Too much focus and reliance on one customer/client.

Human Resource Factors

? 58% Inability to delegate properly - micro-managing work given to others or over delegating and abdicating important management responsibilities.

? 56% Hiring the wrong people - clones of themselves and not people with complimentary skills, or hiring friends and relatives.

To get your own business on the right side of the 80/20 split, assess your business to see if any of these Failure Flags exist. Then, systematically eliminate them. And if you don't have all the skills you need, hire an expert to help you. The cost of having a professional on your team is far less than watching your business join the 80% club.

Caroline Jordan is a small business coach and mentor working with small business owners to conquer the skill gaps that prevent success. For a free special report called Seven Secrets for Small Business Success visit http://www.thejordanresult.com. Get Knowledge. Get Focus. Get Results.

monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..

In The News:

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.