Every NZ Business Owner MUST Ask Themselves This One Question

What's getting in the way of what you want from this business?

It sounds simple, doesn't it? But when I posed this question to a business owner during a paid consultation this week, they sat in complete silence. Then came the response I hear all too often: "Shit, that's a really good question."

The silence wasn't because they didn't understand the question. It was because they'd never actually stopped to think about it properly.

The Two-Part Challenge

Here's why this question is so difficult to answer: it's actually two questions in one. Before you can identify what's getting in your way, you first need to know what you actually want from your business.

When we ask business owners what they want, most give us the same answers:

• More money
• More profit for the effort they're putting in
• Not working 60-hour weeks
• Time off
• Better work-life balance

But these are surface-level responses. They haven't done the deep work of understanding why they're in business in the first place.

We're All in Business for Different Reasons

The reality is, we're all in business for different reasons. Being able to identify exactly what that is for you is crucial. Some want financial freedom. Others want to build something meaningful. Some want flexibility to spend time with family. Others are driven by the challenge of growth itself.

But here's the thing: if you can't articulate what you want, how can you possibly identify what's stopping you from getting it?

The Real Answer: It's Usually You

After that long pause, the business owner I was consulting with gave me an answer that showed real self-awareness: "Myself. Yeah, probably just myself, to be honest."

That's where things got interesting. Because it would have been easy for me to say "Great, correct answer" and move on. But I needed to understand what they meant by that.

What emerged was a pattern I see repeatedly with business owners: fear.

• Fear of failure
• Fear of what other people will think
• Fear of rejection
• Fear of success
• Fear of taking the next step

The Fear That Holds Us Back

This fear manifests in countless ways:

• Not raising prices because you're worried about losing customers
• Not saying no to bad clients because you're scared of missing out
• Not investing in marketing because you're afraid of judgment
• Not hiring because you're worried about the commitment
• Not expanding because you're comfortable where you are

The irony? The very thing that's supposed to give you freedom - your business - becomes a prison built by your own limitations.

The New Zealand Factor

There's something particularly challenging about this in New Zealand. We have a cultural tendency to worry about what others think. The tall poppy syndrome is real. We're taught to be humble, not to show off, not to get too big for our boots.

But here's the harsh reality: if you're worried about what Karen thinks when you send an email at 3pm on a Friday, you're not thinking like a business owner. You're thinking like someone who's afraid of their own success.

The Unfair Advantage You're Not Using

As a small business owner, you have an unfair advantage: you're agile. You can make decisions fast. You can pivot quickly. You can respond to opportunities immediately.

But only if you actually use this advantage.

Most business owners don't. They get paralyzed by overthinking. They worry about perfect timing. They wait for ideal conditions. They seek consensus from people who aren't taking the risks they're taking.

Meanwhile, their competitors - the ones who aren't afraid to act - are winning the work, serving the customers, and building the businesses.

The Bottom Line

So let me ask you directly: What's getting in the way of what you want from this business?

If your honest answer is "myself," then congratulations - you've just identified the one thing you have complete control over.

You can't control the economy. You can't control your competitors. You can't control government policy or interest rates or what customers think.

But you can control your mindset. You can control your actions. You can control your decisions.

The question is: will you?

What to Do Next

If this article has hit home, here's what I want you to do:

1. Get clear on what you actually want - Not just "more money," but specifically what success looks like for you
2. Identify your fears - What are you actually afraid of? Write them down
3. Challenge those fears - Are they real, or are they stories you're telling yourself?
4. Take one action - What's one thing you could do this week that moves you closer to what you want?

Remember: your business should reward you for the risk you're taking. If it's not doing that, it's time to ask yourself why - and more importantly, what you're going to do about it.

The answer might be uncomfortable. But it's the only way forward.