As a business owner, you are constantly the quarterback for your business. Not only are you are the most important player in the game, you run the show.

Now that football season is in full swing, we thought we’d have fun with the topic. Running a small business is a lot like being the quarterback in football. Here’s 5 reasons why.

1. Always Know The Play

As the quarterback, you are the leader. At the end of the day, the responsibilities of a great game fall in your hands. To ensure that your team wins the game, you have to create the best, and most feasible plays to get your team in the endzone.

As a small business owner, you do the same. Your business is your passion. You should have a plan each and every day to help get your business closer and closer to its projected goals, whether that’d be financially or in another avenue.

2. Anticipate What’s Coming From The Opponent

As a quarterback, you have to anticipate many aspects of the game. Not only will you run the play that your team does best, you also have to factor in what the other team has up their sleeves. You never play blind, you watch other games, take notes, and keep up with players’ specific skills to anticipate the best play for the current situation.

This is one of the most effective and crucial points to running a business. As a business owner, you should constantly look to others in your industry to see the biggest accomplishments and failures to base your business plans off of. Your business, much like an NFL team, never takes on any venture blind.

For example, as a business owner, you monitor your business finances monthly, if not daily. If your financial records suggest that you will encounter cash flow problems later in the year, you should probably start making strides to reduce the likelihood that it becomes a reality. To do this, you look to an ally, a business loan company, to help you out, much like a quarterback looks to his defensive line. Getting a small business loan will be the best solution so you don’t fumble your business’s strong line of credit.

3. Encourage Your Teammates

As a quarterback and business owner, you’d be nothing without your team. You look to them to carry out your play, your plans, and your biggest dreams. If your team isn’t encouraged for their great work, they will be less likely to run faster, work harder, and perform their best for you.

Most business owners think that encouragement only comes in times when the scoreboard isn’t reading in their favor. This, also, isn’t true. Encouragement can, and should, come at any given time. Treat your staff to lunch every once in awhile, or even give employees a pat on the back, thanking them for their hard work. No matter how big or small you want your gesture to be, it doesn’t matter, as long as it happens.

4. Look For The Right Receiver

The best quarterbacks see all of their options before making the pass. After the snap, they look at all of their available receivers and choose the best one for the play. Passing the ball too quick can result in a fumble, or even worse, and interception.

This is the same case as a small business owner. As a small business owner, you are tempted to take any and all business that comes your way. This may result in short term success, but in order to maximize your business for long-term success, it is crucial to do your due diligence. Take the time to weigh all of your options before making a decision.

5. Practice Your Hail Mary

As a quarterback, and a small business owner, you never want to think about not being at your best, but it is crucial to stay in the game.

No matter what industry you are in, every business has had a time in their career where they need to bust out the Hail Mary. Businesses that have a Hail Mary planned are typically the ones that end up winning the game.

Planning for the worst is the best way to get to top. Understanding what your business will need to do in order to get out of rough periods in a positive mindset is key for long-term success. This may mean that you will have to work on days off, obtain small business loans, and do whatever it takes to keep your business alive.