Most people in building a business are playing the short game, looking for wins as quickly as possible instead of playing the long term game – showing up, giving value, and focusing on the principles and frameworks that contribute to building a sustainable and profitable business with solid foundations.

Quick wins are great, but when you think of your business in terms of your ROI in the long term that’s when you build a business that will continue to grow year after year, going from strength to strength instead of ending up on a rollercoaster ride of feast or famine.

Too often these days we see the myth of overnight success in business, without seeing all of the hard work that’s gone before. It’s like seeing the tip of the iceberg but not the huge mass beneath the surface.

We have been taught to expect instant returns, when really we should be investing in our business with the attitude of thinking in the longer term. What we do today may not repay us for at least 3, 6, 12 months and often for several years.

Just like when we invest in property or stocks we don’t expect to see an instant return. And so it is with business.

I know it can seem tough to take that approach when your business is young or you want to escape a job you’ve come to detest, but it really is a far safer and profitable approach to take.

As I say to my clients, go slow to go fast.