Editor’s note: This article was first published in September 2013. Hello Design’s situation (an award-winning California agency with clients such as Sony, Nike and Toyota) and the references to the economic crisis and to iPhone apps are as stated in 2013.
David Lai is the CEO of Hello Design, a project that started out as a small idea and grew into a respected creative agency in the United States. Here, David Lai shares his most candid advice on what he thinks it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur in small business.
Lai says one of the wisest pieces of advice he ever received came from his own father, who told him: “There are only 24 hours in a day, and you have to make the most of every hour to succeed. We all have the same hours in a day. How we manage them is what defines us as people.” And the truth is that time is the one thing we can’t get back once it’s gone.
According to Lai, this advice is what led him to start Hello Design at 23: first, so as not to waste time making one of his main dreams come true, and second, so as not to waste time looking for a job.
He says it was the right decision. Many of his peers lost practically everything when the crisis hit, their hopes and dreams included, while he is at the head of a company that has won awards in California for helping businesses of all sizes build and carry out their digital strategies. Its clients include Sony, Nike and Toyota.
What is David Lai’s advice for keeping his business, and himself, organized as the company grows?
For Lai, one of the keys lies in combining pen and paper with digital tools and, above all, in deciding what you’re not going to do, so you don’t waste time. Perhaps most important of all for Lai is learning to trust people. You can only have that trust when you surround yourself with capable people who are professionals in their own fields.
How does he protect his time and stay productive?
The way you start the day is very important. I try to get up early, which is very hard for me, because I was never much of a morning person, but it was a habit I had to pick up. Since I sometimes don’t have time to exercise, I leave home a little earlier and ride my bike to the office, and I discovered that it helped me clear my head, relieve stress and think about the challenges I’d be facing during the day.
(Related: 15 habits for success in business and your career)
It’s important to start the day fresh and full of energy, in the right frame of mind. That’s how you become more productive.
To stay focused, the first thing I do when I get to the office is write down in a small notepad the most urgent things I have to do, the top priorities. That way, at first I concentrate only on that list. It’s a good way to avoid getting sidetracked by less important matters. I have excellent staff, so I also delegate other matters I can’t take care of myself.
See also: 10 simple product ideas that turned entrepreneurs into millionaires
Google is my biggest help at work: I use all kinds of tools and apps on my iPhone to stay in sync and in touch with my company. New technologies, used well and with know-how, make you much more productive in your business.
What other advice would Lai give new entrepreneurs?
First and foremost, an entrepreneur should set short-term goals and not get distracted by the little details. You have to focus on what really matters, on that list we’ve drawn up of what we need to achieve. If every day we get through our list of important tasks and new challenges, we don’t have to go chasing the long-term goals.
They’re the ones that push you forward, and before you know it, your business is no longer a small business but a big company. It’s like children: you don’t realise how much they’ve grown until you look at an old photo. That actually happened at my company; it grew so gradually that we became big practically without noticing.
(Related: The key to success with the Seinfeld strategy)
In the same way, never let problems grow. One of my priorities is to deal with small problems before they get worse. Procrastination is one of a business owner’s great enemies.
And once your business starts to grow, that’s when you have to recognise that you can’t do everything yourself, so you have no choice but to start trusting others and delegating. That’s why you need to surround yourself with good people and good workers in business.
My father used to say, “For the right job, use the right tool,” and that’s what I apply at my company when it comes to staff. I believe I have the right person sitting in the right job, which gives me peace of mind, and I can also make the most of each person’s strengths to do the things I’m not as good at.
Further reading
- Sara Rotman’s advice for entrepreneurs
- 7 tips from entrepreneurs for launching your business idea successfully
- 17 brilliant ideas for success in business
Featured image: Jim.henderson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
