Brooklyn’s Own Small Business Builder

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Holly Howard runs Ask Holly How, a small business consulting company based out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. While on her path to becoming a doctor, Holly took a detour to wait tables at Egg restaurant in Williamsburg and never looked back. It was at Egg that she learned all the ins and outs of running a small business. Now as a consultant, Holly works with a wide variety of businesses from restaurants to retail to art studios and pretty much everything in between. Her clients report increased income and profit, decreased expenses and a significantly better quality of life. Holly heads up the Small Business Book Club at McNally Jackson Books and teaches business classes at The Yard in Williamsburg.

Every week she’ll be answering your questions about running a small business. Holly is here to bring clarity to your most challenging needs as a business owner. She’ll offer you a fresh perspective and practical solutions to get you from where you are to where you want to be.

Got a question for Holly? Email her and she’ll address it in her next column: hhoward@askhollyhow.com

Since this is the beginning of this column, I thought we would start with the three most important questions you must ask yourself if you want to run a successful business. You might think that the three most important questions have something to do with your product, your customer or your business model. While these are excellent topics, and obviously bear serious consideration, I don’t consider them the most important. The three questions I consider most important are: what are you good at, where do you need help and what scares you the most about running a business?

In other words, you must know your strengths, your weaknesses and your fears. Your strengths will tell you what you have to offer your business and where you are likely to succeed with ease. Your weaknesses will show where you need to invest in training and educating yourself in order to avoid sabotaging your success. And finally, your fears are going to show you what you need to confront and take charge of in order to achieve the success you desire and deserve.

If you get clear on these three questions, you will breeze through obstacles, overcome challenges and rise to success with grace and ease. So, if you don’t know the answers, take pause now and get the clarity you need for success. It will save you time, money and, most importantly, it will bring you peace of mind when you’re running your business.

And don’t forget to email me with your questions about running a small business. Together we can change our communities, one small successful business at a time.

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