If you are an entrepreneur you need to hear this.
A solid majority of my clients are small business owners and entrepreneurs in the inspiring/exciting/holy-shit scary start-up stage of their business. For all of you in this often overwhelming stage I would like to share 2 quick tips for managing the emotional roller coaster ride you are most likely currently riding. A roller coaster ride I have personally ridden for many years myself! It can be exhausting, defeating and most certainly not the ROCK YOUR LIFE way. ***there is a better way. trust me.
TIP#1. YOU ARE NOT YOUR BUSINESS.
Your new biz probably consumes much of what you think about. It’s an exciting time of possibility, vision and fire under your ass passion! You are eager, driven, pumped-up and ready to make it happen. These are all good things. When the first sale is made or the first client secured you feel a sense of, “Holy Crap I am doing this!”. Also a good thing. But please remember this: YOU ARE NOT YOUR BUSINESS. So when the bunny energy begins to wane in the face of the hard work, discipline AND patience it takes to grow a sustainable healthy business please do not let your confidence and courage dissipate with it.
YOUR VALUE AND POSSIBILITY ARE NOT MEASURED ENTIRELY BY THE IMMEDIATE RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT. Patience is an asset.
I have seen over and over again (me included!) how entrepreneurs can become so wrapped up in the vision and work of their business that they begin to weave business success with personal success. THOSE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS. The quicker you separate the two the quicker you will be on your way to developing savvy biz development skills and mindsets that will serve your complete life experience (and not just the biz).
TIP#2. SUCCESS COMES FROM DOING IT.
Most people come to me for help because they have strategized the shit out of their business plan but are not seeing the results they need (yes in biz you NEED to make $$$). Before we even go over the business plan I ask about the action steps they took in the last two weeks to bring in new sales/clients/team members etc.
YOU CAN NOT STRATEGIZE YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS.
Biz owners get stuck in Strategyland because:
a) lack confidence in actively sharing what they have to offer and/or actually asking for the sale. Yap. YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR THE SALE
b) or are not willing to get uncomfortable by learning and doing new things necessary to growing their biz. ‘Cause to learn new things often takes changing our stories around what we are capable of.
Successful entrepreneurs never get out of the fake it to the make it stage because truly they are always expanding/learning and growing. It’s actually a really great phase to be in…IF…you are willing to do the work and take the risk to grow.
So for anyone struggling to grow their business…you may not need a new website (again)….you may not need a new biz plan…you may not need to have all your ducks in a row….you may not need to design the perfect biz card or logo….YOU DO NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND START DOING THE WORK TO BRING IN NEW CONNECTIONS AND REVENUE.
I have been in biz my whole life. I was helping to run the family music store by the age of 12. I have personally experienced the hardships and triumphs of the ups and downs (emotionally, financially etc). And from the family retail biz to my own company I do believe the greatest lesson I have learned is tip#2 followed by tip#1. JUST DO IT.
Get out there, work hard, come home and remember that YOU ARE NOT YOUR BUSINESS.
