Many businesses fail even before they start. How is that? One word: perfectionism. Having high standards for work performance is a must for the success of any entrepreneurial endeavor, but you can also have too much of this good thing. Here are the ways perfectionism kills a business even before it breaks ground.

It keeps you from taking risks

Risks don’t exactly fit into the perfectionist’s perspective, precisely because there’s too high of a probability of making a mistake. Every fresh business idea then is met with skepticism. Each new opportunity is turned down. In the end, perfectionists just explore what’s out there, but never really take the plunge. They remain “wantrepreneurs.”

Here’s the thing: it’s good to be very careful about scrutinizing business ideas and opportunities, but you also have to learn how to be comfortable with uncertainties. Besides, you can never be 100% sure what the fate of your business will be. So, go ahead and embrace risks. Take a chance at that food franchise business opportunity. The more you flex your risk-taking muscle, the more you become familiar to it. The more that you become better at it.

It breeds ill feelings from people around you

No one likes to work with a person who’s constantly insisting perfection. No one wants to be with someone who points mistakes non-stop. Certainly, no one wants to be “dictated” upon. You’re at risk of losing your employees, even those who have been loyal to you, if you can’t control your perfectionist tendencies.

So, take a step back and analyze how you deal with your team. Are you too critical of them? Have you been controlling? Are you micromanaging them? Make necessary changes to your actions. Prioritize growth and improvement instead of perfectionism. Learn to trust your team. Give them a sense of freedom in tackling their jobs.

With these values at play at your organization, people will not only experience a boost in morale but also develop respect and loyalty to you. This is the kind of workforce you want to be on your side especially when you’re just starting in the industry.

It would tire you out quickly

Perfectionism is a lot of work. You overthink ideas. You second-guess decisions. You scrutinize people. You do all the work because you think you’re the only one who can get things right. In this setup, you’ll never win. Because even before you fight, you’re already too exhausted.

Perfectionism will drive you to burn out quickly. And to be in that pit is the last thing you want when laying the foundations of your business because you lose not just your energy but your burning passion for the venture, as well. If that’s out, there’s a high chance of quitting even before you get started. So again, tame your perfectionist tendencies. Save your energy for things that matter, tasks that would help in finally launching your business.

It’s easy to understand how you would want to get everything perfect for your first entrepreneurial endeavor. But perfection is a fantasy. You’ll never achieve it. It will just keep you from making your entrepreneurial dream a reality. So, quit on perfectionism. Start your business.