There’s the saying:
“You can either dine with the dogs or fly with the eagles.”
If you really want to learn how to be successful in life, you have to look at who you choose to surround yourself with. This goes for business as well as in your personal life. Find yourself a mentor who is already successful in life and who is willing to help you become more successful. You will subconsciously pick up their winning thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes, which will in turn help you become a more successful person.
BNI provides the perfect environment to mix with other highly successful people. Networking and doing business with other successful people can rub off on you and improve your own business.
Another way to test and improve your business is by entering into area, national or international business awards. Every year you should have a goal of putting your business forward for one or two awards. One such award – The David Awards – was this month won by BNI City Business member Lisa Mackay’s business HR ToolKit.
The intention of the David Awards is to recognise small businesses, which often fly beneath the national radar, but are doing extraordinary things. There were a record number of entries this year, and the judges felt the quality overall was a big step up. As well as winning the Supreme award, HR Toolkit, which offers a document library backed up with specialist support, also took out the Most Innovative Business category and was a finalist in the Most Outstanding Established Business category.
Lisa encourages other BNI members to put their businesses forward for awards. Some key points she notes are:
- Entering is a great way to take a deep look at your business. To stand back and see what you have achieved and celebrate your successes.
- Winning an award (or placing) is a great motivator for your team. It shows that their efforts have a real sense of purpose.
- Awards provide great external PR for your business and look fantastic when shared on social media.
- Even if you don’t win, going through the process of entering an award helps to identify your business’s strengths and weaknesses as well as where it needs to change.
Lisa invoices around $5,000 worth of business monthly through BNI referrals and credits the organisation with helping her develop her business. She encourages other members to be upfront about their successes (and failures) and share these through BNI.
