There is no single path to success. Different people may make different decisions, but end with similar results. There are, however, some paths that provide a greater possibility of success than others. Here are some of these paths, along with actions you can take to follow them.

• Build in certainty to your actions. You shouldn’t just blindly be going about your business, completing tasks and projects each day, without knowing what will happen as a result. It is comforting to know that certain actions have specific outcomes. For example, paying your bills on time will result in building and maintaining a good credit score. Use this approach in all aspects of your business when possible. What actions can you take that will have results you can count on? 

• Take calculated risks that will have a greater chance of positive results. Risk-taking is a necessary part of growing your business. Be smart about those risks by researching possible outcomes, preparing for a negative outcome, and analyzing the results once the action is completed. Let’s say you have some extra money coming in that you’d like to reinvest back into the business for marketing purposes. Investigate different marketing methods, such as how much they cost, how well they might reach your target audience, and how effective they have been either for you in the past or for others in your field. A risk doesn’t have to be dangerous if you do your homework. 

• Take action to follow a great idea only if others think it’s a great idea as well.  You may come up with what you feel is a brilliant idea. This feeling is unique in that it sometimes can cloud our judgment, causing us to act too quickly. Make sure that before you act on an idea, run it by several people who are knowledgeable in your field and/or in business in general. It is becoming more and more common for entrepreneurs to crowdsource before taking action in their businesses. Use your network to your advantage of their collective experiences before acting on an idea. 

• Find something that is difficult or undesirable to do, and master it.  There is bound to be some aspect of your business or some related niche that most others won’t take on for themselves because it is too difficult. Make yourself an expert in these types of tasks, and you will be able to edge out your competitors. While scoping out the competition, one local restaurant owner noticed that most other restaurants had very limited menus for people with dietary restrictions. In response to this trend, the restaurant owner decided to learn as much as he could about dietary restrictions and trained his staff to transform his business into one that specializes in alternative dietary choices. By making himself an expert in something that was too difficult for his competitors to deal with, he was able to make his restaurant one of the most popular spots in town. 

Each of these paths requires a good deal of preparation. Find one that you can tackle right away for your business. Which path on our list will you take? Please share your ideas below!