If you run your own business then you will naturally be focussed on the best way to turn your company into the biggest success story that it can possibly be. Whilst envisaging and working towards success is of course important when you are in business, it is equally important to focus on the negative and figure out how you can avoid the pitfalls which many failed business have made before you.

Unfortunately for many, but fortunately for you, this has happened an incredible number of times and for a wide variety of reasons. This means that as long as you avoid the footsteps which lead to the land mines in front of you, you will be just fine. Let’s take a look at just some of the traps which you must avoid.

Reputation

Products and services are highly important but in today’s world we need to focus on much more than that and reputation in today’s market is everything. It is for this reason that you need to ensure that you have a company who is looking after your company’s best interests when it comes to managing your online reputation. Some of the popular reputation management consultants complaints when they talk about small businesses is that not enough owners place high enough priority on their reputation and this can cause great problems. Don’t fall into this category, ensure that you are on top of your rep.

Staying Still

Business models and approaches to the market should be fluid and ever-changing, if they are not then you will run the risk of the market moving past you and being left behind. This is not to say that you shouldn’t stay true to what you do or that you should constantly re-invent the wheel when it comes to what your company stands for. The idea is to move with the market in terms of your approach to sales and the delivery of your product.

Growth

Growth causes many problems in business and many have collapsed as a result of their mismanagement of the growth process. There are two main problems which are caused here, the first is companies who do not grow despite their success, this leads to good businesses collapsing as a result of the strain. The second issue which growth represents is in businesses who try to run before they can walk and seek growth too early, these businesses will expand and open up their product range before they are properly established. Early growth can have catastrophic consequences and leave many companies bankrupt as a result of the cash flow going in the wrong direction.

These are just some of the things which you need to look out for as a business owner amongst many and if you are smart then you will ensure that you focus your sights not only on success, but also to the avoidance of failure.