7 Habits of Highly Successful Business Owners.

Do you spend every minute at work? Is your business not making the progress you want it to? Is your desk always in a mess? May be the bank gave you all the 1)___ help that you needed but your business is still not as successful as it could be. Read our seven habits of successful business owners to find out how to make your business a success.

1. Highly successful business owners are great role models. They lead their business from the front and are very hands-on. They know that to be successful they need to show their employees that they have a sense of 2)___ and are not afraid to take a risk.

2. Highly successful business owners invest time and money in their team and themselves. They develop their people and hold regular training sessions so that everybody who works for them is as well-informed as they can be.

3. Highly successful business owners know how to manage their time and have systems which enable them to work effectively at all times. They are always 3)___ so that they don’t waste their time.

4. Highly successful business owners are fit and healthy. They understand that a healthy mind and body improves their productivity and general well-being. They realize that by keeping themselves fit they can cope with the 4)___ of running a business.

5. Highly successful business owners have 5)___ ideas. Their businesses offer new ways of doing things that other people don’t think of. This makes their businesses stand out from the crowd.

6. Highly successful business owners look after their clients. They know that without clients there would be no business. They dedicate a lot of time to making sure that their clients receive the best service that they can.

7. Highly successful business owners are not afraid to make 6)___ and take action. They don’t waste time thinking about what to do, they just do it! They also have 7)___, they know what they want their business to achieve and how they are going to achieve it!

Exercise 9. Work with a partner. Discuss the questions below.

1. Which of the seven habits do you think is the most important for a successful business?

2. Think of two more habits of successful business owners.

3. What sort of student/worker are you?

4. How would your colleagues describe you?

Exercise 10. Now answer some more questions about yourself.

1. How do you get on with other people?

2. Do you find you can trust people?

3. Do you think people trust you generally?

4. Do you try to stay in the same mood or do you let it change greatly from day to day?

5. Do people think of you as a happy-go-lucky person, the life and soul of the party, or perhaps rather gloomy and unhappy?

6. Would you describe yourself as shy?

7. Do you often lose your temper?

8. Do you always follow a set routine?

9. Do you tend to check things more than once or twice?

10. Have you usually got lots of energy?

11. Do you find it difficult to cope with the demands of everyday life?

12. Do you dislike when someone tells you what to do?

Exercise 11. Role-play. Read the information about the reality TV show competition.

The Trainee The eight week competition is almost over! There are only two contestants left, six have left the competition and tonight is the final episode of this popular reality TV show. Last week the contestants had to present a business plan for a new pasta company in Italy. Who will show the best business skills this week? What task will be set for them? Most importantly, who will win the contract with Tomas Flint, the leading entrepreneur?

Last night you were the winner of the Trainee and you won the prize of a £750.000 contract with the successful entrepreneur, Tomas Flint. Today all of the newspapers and magazines want to talk to you.

Student A is the winner of the reality show and Student B is a journalist from a national newspaper. Before you meet, prepare information so that you can talk about:

• what you were doing before you took part in the show

• how you won a place on the show

• what the most difficult thing on the show was

• what task you completed last night

• why you think you won the prize