Terry Sims of the Garden Artist in Boise, Idaho, and her crew.We’ve all heard stories of unconventional entrepreneurs taking the path less traveled to success. The challenge lies in finding practical ways to apply alternative strategies to your own business.
Terry Sims of the Garden Artist in Boise, Idaho, has taken her landscape design firm to the top of her field using smart strategies. And though these are landscapers we’re learning from, these strategies can certainly be adapted to a construction company.
Here are three of Terry’s helpful approaches:
1. Make things happen
When Terry decided she wanted to return to school to study horticulture, she was the first person to attend the University of Idaho landscape architecture remotely. To Terry, just because it hadn’t been done before didn’t mean it couldn’t be. Remember, just because something isn’t available to you, doesn’t mean it can’t be. If you have a good idea, be willing to pursue it and follow through.
2. Don’t neglect your own limitations
Many business owners recognize the areas in which they don’t excel, and are happy to delegate associated duties to talented subordinates; a perfectly acceptable business strategy. However, if you feel crucial skills are missing to the extent it could make you less productive, take the bull by the horns and address the situation.
In Terry’s case, she felt her time management skills could use some polishing. So, she reached out to her accountant, who assisted her in created a detailed, organized system managing Terry’s time over the course of each day. If you have a problem with a certain business skill, tackle it head-on instead of just trying to work around it.
3. Break out of your routine
Although most owners know and play to their own strengths, the day-to-day business of running a company can be overwhelming and dilute focus. Make the time to do what you do best. Follow the passions that led you to develop an entrepreneurial spirit in the first place. Terry, for example, considers herself an expert marketer.
As a result, she makes sure she earmarks time for networking, speaking engagements and charity events, a strategy that has led to not only a higher profile and good reputation within the Boise community, but has also reeled in additional clients for the Garden Artist.
