Success Is In the M&Ms: Money

Today we’re going to look at what may be perceived as the sweetest “M” in our packet of M&Ms of Success, we’re talking about money. Some of you think it isn’t so sweet though. For some of you it is really leaving a bitter taste in your mouth right now or maybe has for your whole life. You may have grown up with it being taboo to talk about money or you really only talk about money in the context of how hard it is to pay your bills and that is the extent of the conversation. I want to encourage you to think about what you think about when it comes to money.

I want to challenge you by saying that money is not evil. It is not something to love or hate. It is a powerful tool to be used with integrity and I assure you that money does matter to your business. It is a great way to measure how things are going. Consider money as a scorecard for your business that shows how effective you are in your business.

I want you handle your money with integrity, treat money as an important asset in your business. You can handle money with integrity by:

• knowing what is coming in
• tracking where it is going out
• designating where your money will go
• getting out of debt as quickly as possible
• being transparent with your spouse regarding finances

Your family deserves for your business to be profitable. They sacrifice a lot. They give up material things and they sacrifice time spent with you so they do need to see a return on their investment. Your spouse needs to see spreadsheets and a budget on paper. Be transparent so they know what is coming in and where the money is going. It’s a running joke at our house that every spouse of a business owner is just like Cuba Gooding Jr, in Jerry McGuire, saying “Show me the money!” I believe that is a fair request.
You may not be sure where to start. I want you to start by taking a hard look at where you are now. Here are some questions for discovering where you may not be responsible with your money right now.

• Are you making great money but blowing it?
• Are you afraid to make money because you can’t manage it?
• Are you in debt because you are always chasing the next magic solution or quick fix?

Identify what behaviors and beliefs need to be kicked to the curb. Then, make a commitment to handling money with integrity from here on out. Designate a portion of your income for future education, marketing materials, and yes, your paycheck! Work hard toward getting to that place where you can pay your bills and still be able to breathe at the same time. Make a plan to get out of debt as quickly as possible. Be transparent so your spouse can be supportive of what you are doing. A big piece of running a successful business is learning to handle your money properly. Commit to making this a priority and begin using money as a scorecard for how you are doing.