Every business owner is guilty of making these 5 detrimental excuses. Initially, they may not seem like a big deal, but over time, they really kill your growth potential. Excuses like the ones below will never separate you from the pack. They’ll keep you average at best, and will ruin your long term chance at success.

As the founder and CEO of top text message marketing provider, Slicktext.com, I promise I’ve used these excuses dozens of times. But, in order to keep seeing consistent results in my business, I needed to recognize these bad habits and stop them before they became a problem.

Here’s the top 5 excuses that are killing your business.

1. “There’s not enough time in the day.”

This is one of the most common excuses, I’m guilty of using it on occasion. The problem isn’t that you don’t have enough time, it’s that you don’t know how to properly manage the time you have. There are some great tools out there to help you organize your time. Do a Google search for time management resources, and find one that suits your needs.

2. “I don’t know how.”

Every successful business owner, I’m talking the ones who have really made it, know how to admit when they’re wrong or don’t know something. The difference is, they take time to seek out answers. Don’t let your lack of knowledge cripple your decision making process.

3. “It’s not in the budget.”

Although this is definitely a reasonable excuse, it’s not a good long term solution. The most expensive option might not always be the best, and, there’s always a way to get around budget constraints. If you can’t afford to spend money on a $1,000 campaign, then find an ulterior solution. If you think outside the box, you will find something that makes sense for your business and your budget.

4. “It’s already been done.”

So what if your competitors have taken advantage of a similar method? Never copy their exact strategy, but find a way to do it better. Figure out a way to execute a similar method, but at the same time, get better results.

5. “We will do it next week/month/year.”

Time is of the essence and a valuable decision making factor, but at the same time, don’t let it determine everything you do. I’m not saying launch all new ideas in 24 hours or less, but buy a marketing calendar. Schedule out campaigns, and make time for new initiatives.

Meet Matt Baglia

Matt Baglia is the CEO of SlickText.com, a leader in the SMS marketing industry. They provide businesses and organizations all over the United States with an easy and cost effective platform for sending targeted, opt-in text messages.