Most entrepreneurs want to offer their best – whether a physical product, digital product, or service. That’s a good thing for both the consumer and your business alike. With so much competition in the marketplace, sub-standard will sink your business in a flash.

Continually striving to improve and provide the best will not go unnoticed. Not only will you see more sales, but consumers will often spread a good word about your brand and products.
The problem is that many entrepreneurs take this “quest for the best” a little too far. The need to produce everything perfectly. It’s truly a noble plan.

However, it comes with a price. 

The obsession with perfection can actually stall or even sink your business. To be clear, you surely want to produce your best. But there comes a point when good enough may be good enough. That is, there’s a point when your product/service meets a minimal level of quality and acceptance that it can be released. Updates and improvements can follow. Your business goes on.

But simply saying, “don’t be a perfectionist” is of course easier said than done. For starters, there’s different types of perfectionism and different characteristics of the perfectionist.
This post will discuss what type of perfection applies to your business as well as what remedy (or remedies) will work best for you and your business.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution. You need to identify your specific challenges and then plan a tailored solution.

Perfectionism can be a good thing when it’s used correctly and effectively in business, but perfectionism can also destroy your business if you take it too far.

There are actually three different types, and each one can stall your business in its own way.

1) Must be an expert 

One common form of perfectionism is the belief that you must be an expert at everything in order to succeed. This can be crippling, because it leads to procrastination and a fear of taking risks. Remember that no one knows everything, and that's okay! The key is to surround yourself with people who complement your skillset.
Try to focus on what you're good at and outsource the rest. You might not be able to manage every aspect of your business, but that doesn't mean you can't still succeed. Focus on what you're best at and find ways to streamline the things you struggle with or don't enjoy.

2) Failure is never an option 

This is a big one. For some people, failure is simply not an option. This type of perfectionism can be helpful in business, as it can drive you to achieve your goals. However, it can also be a hindrance if you're constantly striving for an unattainable level of perfection. You're never satisfied with what you've accomplished. This can lead to unhealthy levels of stress and anxiety, and can ultimately stall your business.

Have you ever heard, “If you aren’t failing, you aren’t trying hard enough?” You may have heard that more than once. In order to succeed, you have to be willing to get outside of your comfort zone and approach your work with an attitude of fail early, fail fast, fail often. 

Start small if possible. See what works and what doesn’t, then scale accordingly. The only way to learn is through experience, and the more you fail, the more likely you are to find success at some point down the line.

3) Do it perfectly or don’t do it at all 

This type of perfectionism is all-or-nothing thinking. If you can’t do something perfectly, you don’t want to do it at all. This black-and-white thinking can stall your business because you’re never satisfied with anything you do. You’re always looking for the perfect solution, which means you never take action. 

In order to stay in this mode, you'll keep finding reasons why everything is a bad idea. For example, if you have a website that's not very good yet and everyone tells you how much they like it and how great the design is, this will only fuel your desire to improve on what's not perfect. 

What gets lost here is that there's plenty of things people like about the site without having to wait until its perfect. In fact, as long as people are happy with what they see (for now), then there's no need for improvement! The perfect website will come later when improvements are needed or wanted. Remember: Keep doing things even if they're not perfect!

Hopefully you have identified your specific characteristics (of perfectionism) that may be prohibiting success in your business. Now it’s time to start thinking about a solution. 

Not all the ways listed may apply to you, but some should. While they don’t go into great detail, each is worth taking a deep look at. Be honest with yourself. Think of ways you can apply them to you and your business.

1) Stop Waiting

One of the biggest things holding perfectionists back is the tendency to wait for things to be just right before taking action. But the truth is, there's never a perfect time to start something new. If you're waiting for the perfect time to launch your business, you'll never get started. The key is to take action and then make adjustments as you go. 

When starting out, it's likely that mistakes will happen, but they can't always be avoided. Taking these risks will not only help you overcome perfectionism but also help propel your career forward.

2) Build Relationships

When you’re starting a business, it’s important to build relationships with other entrepreneurs, mentors, and potential customers. These relationships can provide valuable advice and feedback that can help you improve your business. Additionally, these relationships can give you access to resources and opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise. 

You'll be more confident as an entrepreneur because you're surrounded by people who are facing the same challenges as you are. You won't feel alone or like the only one struggling. As you build relationships, let go of any expectation for perfection in your work and in yourself.

3) Don’t be Afraid of Feedback

One of the best ways to overcome perfectionism is to seek out feedback from others. This can be difficult, as it can be hard to hear that our work is not perfect. However, feedback is essential for growth. 

Try to view feedback as an opportunity to learn and improve, rather than a personal attack. Remember that your work should never be perfect - there will always be room for improvement.

4) Focus on Your Strengths

One way to overcome the perfectionism that can drag down your business is to focus on your strengths. Chances are, you're already good at certain things related to your business. And by focusing on these strengths, you can start to see progress and improvement more quickly. This will help boost your confidence and keep you motivated to continue working on your business.

It's also important not to compare yourself with others who may be ahead of you in their businesses. Comparisons will just lead to frustration and self-doubt - something that could lead to even more challenges for your business! Instead of comparing yourself with others, try finding other people who have a similar challenge or goal as yours so that you can offer encouragement, ideas, or even accountability for achieving those goals together!

5) Break Down Tasks into Smaller Chunks

One way to overcome perfectionism is by breaking down the task at hand into smaller chunks. This can help you focus on one thing at a time and not feel overwhelmed. It can also help to set smaller goals rather than thinking about the entire project at once. 

For example, if your goal is to create a website, break it down into pieces such as web design, content development, and social media marketing. You will be able to work on one part of the process at a time instead of trying to do everything all at once.

6) Trust in Yourself 

To trust yourself means that you have to be okay with making mistakes and not being perfect all the time. Remember that no one is perfect and that everyone makes mistakes. If you can learn to trust yourself, then you will be less likely to strive for perfection. 

Accept that there will always be something wrong with what you produce or give off an impression of. The key is being happy with your work for what it is now. If you are willing to look past imperfections or mistakes, then it will become easier for you to get over your need for perfectionism.

7) Identify What Success Looks Like

As a perfectionist, you might constantly strive for an unattainable level of success. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and frustration. To overcome this, it's important to first identify what success looks like for you. 

Is it making a certain amount of sales revenue? Getting X number of new clients? Once you have a clear idea of what success looks like, you can start setting realistic goals that will help you move closer to your definition of success. 

The next step is identifying what factors need to be in place for these goals to happen. What does the path from where you are now look like? How much time do you need? What type of resources are needed? Identifying the steps needed for success allows you to better understand how close or far away from your goal you currently are.

8) Create Deadlines 

Try creating deadlines. This will force you to focus on the task at hand and not dwell on small details. Once the deadline is met, you can then go back and revise if needed.

9) Be Flexible and Willing to Change Course When Necessary 

Being flexible and willing to change course when necessary are two important ways to overcome perfectionism in business. Trying to be perfect all the time can lead to rigidity, which can make it difficult to adapt when things don't go as planned. Being open to new ideas and willing to pivot when needed will help you be more successful in the long run.

10) Set Realistic Goals 

You want to set realistic goals. This means that you should not try to accomplish everything at once or make your goals unattainable. Set small goals that you can realistically achieve and then work your way up from there.