What is it inside of people that makes them willing to risk everything they have to be in business? Is it to join the league of greats like Ford, Carnegie, Hearst, Jobs, Gates or just to have the freedom of being in a business of their own?
Perhaps it is the spirit passed down by parents or grandparents who ran the butcher shops, bakeries and small service businesses from the beginning of time. Some say it is a burning desire that hits like a flash of lightening or an idea that begs to be developed.
At the height of it all, entrepreneurship screams freedom – freedom to direct one’s own life, freedom to earn as much as one can, freedom to set one’s own hours, freedom to be in control.
In the thick of it, entrepreneurship demands risk, it demands new skills, it demands financial liquidity and demands the effective use of time and life. Over the past 30 years, my experience working with hundreds of business owners in Mind Masters, highlights the struggle they have, wearing all of the “hats” of running a business and still maintaining some balance.
Many things happen when you go into business for yourself. You face tremendous obstacles, significant opportunities for growth and the personal fulfillment of achievement. There are essential factors that come together to make it happen.
- You need to believe in yourself. Develop the confidence to make it happen. Surround yourself with people who see you with positive expectations.
- You need to know your core strengths. The internet has changed the way we do business and how we market ourselves. Strategic Alliances can open up new opportunities for you so you can do what you do best.
- Be willing to walk away. As business owners we sometimes want to jump the gun, when in fact we are not clear of the results we want, much less have a plan in place. Being clear on end results helps set the stage for right action. Sometimes saying no to a possible client often times helps them get their act together. You position yourself for failure if you go jumping in with a client before having clarity of what they really want to accomplish. Be honest and they will come back when they are ready.
- Learn to say NO! This goes for clients as well as everything and everyone else who wants your attention. This is about time management. When you focus on the high priority, high pay off activities, whether your own or for clients, this is what garners results. This takes discipline and commitment to what you want and what you are providing for clients.
- Set boundaries. Getting too friendly with clients can cause strain in the relationship. Learning to keep the boundaries clear helps keep clients open to advice and respecting your expertise. Remember it is business,
Personal achievement in any area of life requires commitment and consistency, and perhaps, as a business owner, it requires it even more. You must maintain the right mindset and the ACTION that goes with it, to produce the success you want. Your dream may not have included the amount of work necessary to live it. You may not have realized how much on-going learning is required to run a business and sell successfully. Both work and learning take patience while consistently going beyond your limits. The rewards of personal, professional and financial growth far out-weigh the struggles to get there, take time to enjoy the path you have chosen
The Challenge: It is mid-year, take time to work on yourself and your business, the road ahead will be easier.