10 Ways Every Entrepreneur Can Adopt an Investing Mindset

Success does not have to be a zero-sum game. When you win, someone does not have to lose. The best opportunities in business and investing come from creating value for others. Good products and services can improve lives in both big and small ways, building trust, fostering loyalty and laying the foundation for lasting success. True progress comes from embracing abundance and prioritizing win-win solutions that benefit clients, employees and society alike.

A business built on strong principles has the potential to outlast any individual. Creating a culture rooted in shared values can guide decision-making and help navigate change. When you focus on ideas that are bigger than the firm itself, you may increase your chances of creating something that lasts.

Understanding your clients’ needs matters more than selling a product. That is a lesson I learned in high school when I worked at Arensberg’s Shoes in Lawrence, Kansas. Focus on providing tailored solutions and let your clients decide if what you are offering is right for them. In other words, be in the business of solving problems, not just selling products. This approach has helped build meaningful relationships with the people we serve.

Building a successful business means making a lot of decisions, from the mundane to the momentous. That is why it is so important to have a framework you believe in for evaluating your options and choosing the best path forward, which may or may not be the most lucrative one. The key is to avoid cutting corners at the expense of quality. Sometimes the right path is the easy path. (I love it when that happens.) Other times, the right path may take more work initially but will be worth it down the line. Focus on making the most informed decision you can, and then you can relax knowing you did the best you could with the information you had. At Dimensional, we often say, “Do the right thing. Do it the right way. And do it right now.” It is a simple but powerful reminder of how important today’s decisions are.

In both investing and business, there is plenty you cannot control. Markets fluctuate, industries change, and unexpected events happen. But the factors you can control (like your culture, the quality of your service and how you treat people) make all the difference. Worrying about what is outside your influence often wastes time and energy, but managing what you cannot control means preparing for uncertainty, staying disciplined and building systems that can adapt to change. By focusing on what you can control and managing what you cannot, you position yourself for enduring success, no matter what comes your way.

Trying to predict the future is often a waste of time. Instead, I have found it far more productive to prepare for a range of outcomes. Building disciplined systems and robust processes that account for uncertainty can create a framework for resilience. Good preparation often beats good guessing.

While it is important to have principles and discipline, flexibility is key to navigating a constantly changing world. Markets evolve, industries shift, and client needs grow. Adapting to these changes and staying open to new opportunities can be the difference between thriving and falling behind.

Success in both business and investing is not about chasing quick wins. It is about making consistent, high-quality decisions that compound over time. Small, thoughtful actions (whether improving processes, developing employees or building strong relationships) create momentum that leads to transformational results. At the same time, it is important to judge yourself not just by outcomes, but by the quality of your decisions. Were your choices thoughtful? Were they aligned with your values? By staying disciplined and letting compounding do its work, you set the foundation for lasting success.

In both investing and business, there is no shortage of distractions. Staying disciplined by focusing on what truly matters has helped me avoid reacting to short-term pressures. By tuning out the noise, you create space for thoughtful decision-making that aligns with your long-term goals.

I have always been amazed by what people can achieve when they’re empowered to do their best work. Attracting great talent, fostering creativity and encouraging curiosity are some of the most rewarding aspects of running a business. Markets thrive on ingenuity, and businesses do, too.