Business is like a jigsaw….. Small steps for property development businesses.....works for other sectors too Occasionally small steps lead to a giant leap....could be managing to speak to the ‘elusive’ landowner or solicitor....or possibly a first face to face meeting with a potential investor, client or business partner. The giant leaps do not happen without the small steps.....for some the ‘boring’ stuff like spreadsheets or the ‘easy to put off’ stuff like making phone calls or following up after ‘promising’ something......the small steps themselves can seem like massive leaps at times.... Building, scaling or creating a business is like doing a jigsaw......for some the preference is to create the container by fixing all the edge pieces then adopt another strategy for the inside....for others it’s about focussing on one comfortable area, possibly an easy to spot image/colour then follow that with another area eventually joint all the pieces together...others have a scatter gun approach and put each piece roughly where they think it should go and move pieces around when needed. Property development for many new and inexperienced developers, investors, contractors and some funders can be like doing a jigsaw upside down or the wrong way up without a image of the ‘goal’ or ‘vision’. Even for us ‘old’ hands we have to constantly check the image and occasionally edit it to ensure that we are on the right track. Whatever the approach it is the constant piecing together that brings results....the small steps. Of course there are many areas where things can and do go wrong....there are also many opportunities to make massive £s....be aware there are few short cuts..... Whatever your goal is best break it down in to small steps then get going....might occasionally need to adjust so make some of those steps ‘reviews’...step back, preferably review with at least one other....two others if it’s at a key point..... Some of the bigger ‘small’ steps that people ‘struggle’ with..... Not enough time Don’t be a busy fool Getting busy Don’t stop just before things improve Stop chasing a lost cause Stop kidding yourself Belief in yourself…..too much or too little Focus - too much and not enough Should I or shouldn’t I? Fighting fires Lack of direction No goals or vision Goals and vision.... Who to talk to Who to trust Many of these might not seem like small steps however they are or an be....everything can be broken down if you both allow it and are able to see how. Business at its heart is often a lonely place and unfortunately many businesses fail because the above aren’t addressed....often because people just aren’t aware of what’s needed, when and where to go.... We may live on an island however in business you cannot be an island...talk to the right people and if you don’t know who they are keep asking, watching & listening until you do.

Posted by Richard Little at 2025-04-14 09:57:34 UTC