Most everyone is looking for success in business, and life in general.

In my quest for success, I love listening to entrepreneurial podcasts.

Business strategies, funnels, new technologies – they are all fascinating to me.

There are so many helpful resources out there, and an amazing number of brilliant minds leveraging innovation to grow their business and help others do the same.

As helpful as these are, it can be easy to imagine that you’re just one “magic bullet” away from seeing your business and your life become a rocketship.

That one funnel, that perfect email sequence, that single genius virtual assistant in the Philippines.

We can easily fall into the mindset that seeks to circumvent the oldest most timeless business growth principles in existence.

I’m talking about the same ideas used by medieval blacksmiths, pioneer carpenters, old west ranchers, and other entrepreneurs through history.

Well before the internet, cell towers, and Amazon Prime, there were some universal business strategies established that continue to produce results year after year.

Without a single landing page or digital sales funnel, solopreneurs and entrepreneurs have forged their place on main street and established a legacy of excellence for centuries.

They have deployed backbone strategies that just plain work.

In fact, any business that desires longevity simply must learn these principles. Without them, failure is imminent.

They can’t be substituted with a Facebook ad campaign.

Perhaps one of the greatest things about them is that they really require very little talent or technical skill. However they do require character.

They are easy to do, but just as easy not to do.

Here’s how to find success in business and life:

Do What you say you’ll do.

How many vendors or service providers have you patronized over the years that simply did not follow through?

You paid, but they did not deliver.

How frustrating that is!

Be the business, the parent, the spouse that simply follows through and keeps your word.

You will immediately set yourself apart from the majority of the competition.

Be honest.

I know this sounds like something you’d hear in elementary Sunday School, but again, how many times have you encountered a provider that just wasn’t honest?

Determine to be upfront with your clients and build a reputation of integrity.

Don’t tell them it will take a week when you know it will take a month.

When plans change, be transparent and communicate. Build your business and life on honesty.

Show up on time.

I heard of a plumber recently whose business is simply called “On Time Plumbing.”

That’s not a bad motto.

If the call is scheduled for 9am, make the call at 9am.

When circumstances make “on time” impossible, be sure to communicate.

When you value your client’s time, they will value your business!

Give more than you take.

Over deliver.

I love going to a restaurant where they bring your plate out and it’s just loaded.

On the flipside there’s nothing quite as deflating as receiving an underwhelming order.

You know, the kind of experience where the only big thing you get is the bill.

Wow your customers with extras and unexpected service.

If you can go above and beyond, your business will become the top choice.

Repeat these actions consistently.

None of the things I’ve mentioned here are difficult to do. They are simple to do.

However, they are also simple not to do.

It is one thing to execute them a few times, but as days, weeks, and months go by, they can become lost unless you are intentional.

The businesses that will win over decades will be the ones who can establish these principles as non-negotiable.

Those that can embed them into the DNA of their workflow until it’s just part of who they are. 

CONCLUSION

Whether you’re a digital marketer or an auto mechanic, the simple things mentioned here are crucial to finding success in business.

If you’re a parent, a sibling, or just a friend, these principles are vital to your relationships.

You can’t build a legacy on witty copy and ad spend alone.

An audience can be bought, but a reputation can only be built.

You can’t build a relationship on broken promises and inconsistencies.

If you’re just starting out or if you’re been at it for years, the principles are the same.

Grab hold of them and build a business and a life that will be rock solid for years to come!