When you’re the only one holding yourself accountable, it can be easy for things to slip through the cracks. The goals you have for yourself and your business can fall to the wayside if you’re constantly getting stuck in the weeds, which is why it’s important to have accountability as a business owner.
Accountability can look differently to each person; it might mean weekly check-ins to make sure you’re on track with your financial and strategic goals for the company, or it could mean having someone make sure you’re addressing a recent failure and learning from it. Even as you scale, you’re ultimately responsible for everything that happens at your company, and how you respond to and handle various situations can not only position your company as an authentic brand, but put you in a better position for growth and success.
- Reach Out to a Thought Leader in Your Space
Even as an experienced business owner, it can be intimidating to reach out to thought leaders in your space to be your accountability partner. Maybe they won’t have time to help you, or maybe they’d be hesitant to meet up with a stranger.
Start by cultivating relationships with leaders you admire. Reaching out of nowhere isn’t always the best tactic, and it’s harder for someone to hold you accountable if they don’t really know you. Attend their webinars, send them a few emails, maybe meet up for coffee or lunch several times. Put in the time and effort first if this is someone you would like to work with regularly.
You’d be surprised how many successful leaders are open to mentorship, whether that’s formally or informally. The best leaders are always learning, and they may be interested in learning from you as well as helping to hold you accountable to your business goals.
Before you reach out, though, think about why you’d like to work with this particular thought leader. Is there something about their journey that you resonate with? Are there certain traits they have that you think you can learn from? Be clear about your goals and why you feel like you’d benefit from having them as an accountability partner or mentor.
- Hire a Business Coach
Maybe you had a business coach when you first started out and outgrew them as your business scaled. But hiring a business coach isn’t just for new business owners—veteran entrepreneurs can also benefit from a new perspective, especially at different stages of their business.
No matter where your business is at, there are always going to be new challenges to overcome. As a business owner, you aren’t expected to know everything. As we mentioned earlier, the best leaders are always learning, and asking for help can actually lead to business growth in many cases.
One advantage of working with a business coach is having an outsider’s perspective on your business operations, as well as your current strengths and weaknesses as a business owner. They may see problems you don’t see yet, or solutions you have yet to discover. We put a lot of emphasis on personal growth, and it’s important to prioritize professional development as well!
Meeting with a business coach regularly can hold you accountable to goals you set together, or tasks you need to complete for the next time you meet. Think of it like a personal trainer at a gym–they’ll know when you haven’t done the training you were supposed to do, and you have to show up prepared each time you see them.
- Connect with Other Businesses on Social Media
Connecting with other businesses is definitely a unique way to find accountability as a business owner. While healthy competition can be a strong motivator, you can also learn a lot from other entrepreneurs. Shared expertise can help both businesses grow even stronger.
Linked-in is a great place to connect with other entrepreneurs. They don’t even have to be in the same niche as your business, but you can still connect with, and even collaborate with adjacent businesses. Once you’ve identified one or more people that you think would be a good fit for an accountability partner, reach out and set a time to meet!
Entrepreneurship can be isolating at times, but an accountability group can reassure you that you’re not facing challenges alone.
- Set an Example of Leadership Accountability
Accountability starts at the top, and when your team sees you taking ownership of both the successes and the failures of your company, they’ll feel empowered to do so as well. Being transparent with them builds trust and will ultimately lead to a higher-performing team.
When you have a road map for your company and share your vision with your team, not only do they feel more strongly about being a part of that vision, but they can hold you accountable to it as well. That doesn’t mean that you can’t change your strategy once you’ve shared it—but it forces you to be able to explain clearly why you’ve pivoted away from the original road map if that does happen.
If everyone else on the team has clear goals and expectations, it only makes sense that you as the leader of the company have your own goals as well. Set an example to the rest of your team and establish a common purpose. By doing so, you’ll have a tighter-knit, higher-performing team that will propel you to business success.
- Offer Transparency to Your Clients
Take it a step further and hold yourself accountable to your clients. Transparency is more important to clients than ever, and they’re more likely to purchase from brands whose CEOs are transparent.
When you announce a product launch date, you’re holding yourself accountable to that date by putting it out there for your clients to see and look forward to. If you’re the only one that knows the launch date, it can be easy to push that date out if you don’t feel ready. And as entrepreneurs, it’s not uncommon to feel like a product needs to be perfect before launching.
Accountability to clients can also look like transparency in taking steps towards your company goals, which can lead to higher client buy-in. If your goal is to donate a certain amount of money to an organization each year, share that number with your clients! It can be scary to be that open and vulnerable, but it can also build greater loyalty among clients, and helps you to stay accountable to making moves towards that goal.
What does accountability mean to you and what are some places in your business and life that you can benefit from accountability? Whether you’re a solopreneur or the leader of a growing team, having accountability is important as a business owner. Accountability leads to a more complete picture and clearer perspective of your business and will help you to continue to set bigger goals on the path to success.
Do you feel like your business has plateaued or you are sick and tired of being sick and tired? Could it use a shot in the arm to make even more progress on your goals? Consider working with The Accountability Coach. I’m here to help you accelerate your results, so you can enjoy your ideal business and ideal life! Reach out today for your complimentary consultation.
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