The STATUS QUO Entrepreneur: How To Stop Struggling In Business

For every new subscriber to naijapreneur, in the welcome email, I often encourage them to write me back telling me about what they are currently struggling with in their business.

In other words, what’s their business status quo?

Exactly 3 days after their subscription, they get another email from me asking them to tell me what they are currently struggling with in their business.

Why do I insist on you sharing your business struggles with me?

Because I know you wouldn’t be reading naijapreneur if there wasn’t something bothering you as an entrepreneur. That you are here is enough proof that you have a problem that you don’t want or lack a result that you desperately want.

I am glad many new subscribers respond to this and share their current business struggles with me. And to everyone who did, I replied with specific action steps to take to change the situation of things in their business.

For some, I ask a couple of questions to better understand their unique situation and for others; I point out likely causes for their struggle and then offer action steps to improve their situation.

This is fair enough, right?

But what happens next after replying these emails has never ceased to amaze me, —SILENCE!

You would think that for someone to have taken the time to reply and point out what their business struggles are, they would eagerly implement the recommended ideas. But alas, nothing happens!

At first, I used to be bothered about this, but as more and more people repeated this same thing, it finally dawned on me what the real issue was; CHANGE IS PERSONAL. Your Status in life is solely determined by YOU!

As much as I want to see changes in the businesses and lives of my readers, I cannot make these changes happen for them without their involvement.

As much as I want to change the status quo of their business, I cannot do so until they make up their minds and take the necessary steps to change their status quo.

Define Your Status

Generally, people when in problem, fall into one of 3 categories in life;

• Status quo – they know they have a problem, but want the problem to solve itself. Avoid them; you can’t convince them of anything.

• Away from – they want to fix something, cure something, alleviate something, get unstuck. They want a way out from their problem. Support them.

• Toward – they want to achieve something, gain something, be something. They see problems as the test they must pass to get ahead to the next level. Encourage them.

Which One Are You?

A man was walking through a forest when he saw a crippled fox. “I wonder how it manages to feed itself?” He thought.

At that moment, a tiger approached, carrying its prey in its mouth. The tiger ate its fill and left what remained for the fox.

“If God helps the fox, he will help me too,” The man thought. He went back home, shut himself up in his house and waited for the Heavens to bring him food.

Nothing happened.

He lay there in bed waiting for God to provide for him as he had for the fox, but instead just starved.

Just when he was becoming almost too weak to go out and work, an angel appeared.

“Why did you decide to imitate the crippled fox?” asked the angel. “God has given you gifts and abilities to contribute to the world and make a living, while looking after the crippled foxes of the world.  Get out of bed, pick up your tools and follow the way of the tiger!”

I only have one question for you today.  Which one are you, the fox or the tiger?

Who is the Status Quo Entrepreneur?

You will know them when you see one;

• They are the tigers who envy the fox

• They are the dreamers that never do

• They are the pessimists who never see good in anything or anyone

• They are the know-it-all with no results to show

• They are the fast talkers who never really listen

• They are the full-of-idea types with no clarity of what to do next

• They are the planners who are too scared to execute

• They are the busy-bodies who rarely pay attention

• They are the cheerleaders who never participate in the game

• They are the copycats who never take the time to find their own thing

The most obvious sign of the status quo entrepreneur is stagnancy –they are stuck in their inaction. Neither going forward no going backward, they are just exactly how and where you last saw them.

There’s very little you can do to help the status quo entrepreneur. The way out lies in his/her hand.

Action is the Antidote for the Status Quo Entrepreneur

You can complain all you want about the state of your life and the state of your business. You can consume all the motivational self affirmation materials in the world while hoping that positive thinking will bail you out.

Nothing much will change, until you decide to take action.

The most effective way to change anything is to do something about it.

All the information you have been gathering from reading naijapreneur BUT never putting them to use will not change your business.

You can keep on following the path of the status quo entrepreneur or you can become like the tiger and forge your own pathway in life and in business.

The choice, as always is YOURS!