WHEN WILL I FEEL LIKE A ‘REAL’ BUSINESS OWNER?

Most of us get into business ownership because we are good at something we think people are interested in buying.

That’s pretty much what it comes down to.

Yes, we want to have a positive impact, we want to help people, we want to live with purpose…but when it’s all stripped back, our initial thoughts were more like…

We have something other people need

‘Yay’ we think, ‘I can turn this into a business and it’s gonna be awesome! I’ll just tell people what I’m good at and they’ll come flocking in…if you build it they will come kinda thing…right!?’

WRONG!

Being a business owner is SO. MUCH. MORE than having something incredible to share with the world, telling everyone, then sitting back waiting for them to find you.

When we figure this out, because inevitably we all do (!), we can start to feel out of our depth and like we are just ‘playing’ at business ownership.

Feeling this way is HORRIBLE for our mindset, because it can lead to us feeling like frauds, and Negative Nelly pipes-up to tell us we aren’t good enough / worthy enough / don’t know enough etc etc etc etc etc.

Does all that sound about right??

It’s okay to feel this way – you’ve done something most people don’t have the courage to do – you’ve stepped out into the BIG ARENA and are laying it all on the line for the thing you believe in most – YOU.

I know it doesn’t always feel safe or comfortable, and it shouldn’t. Anything that’s worth having shouldn’t come THAT easily – you SHOULD feel a bit battered and bruised from time to time, but…

What if I told you that confidence and clarity in yourself as a business owner is possible for you?

What if I told you that learning and implementing certain tools and techniques will make you and your business feel more ‘official’, and set you up to achieve the results you KNOW you deserve??

Here are the key areas I recommend you focus on to feel more happy, confident, clear and focussed as a business owner:

CLARITY – audience / brand / messaging

1. Get to know your ideal client on a very personal level – what do they want and need? What excites, motivates and inspires them? What keeps them up at night? Who do they admire and why? Where do they spend most of their time? Who else are they connected with? I literally get my Private Detective goggles on and deep dive my audience so that I know them as well as I know myself [hint: your ideal audience probably IS or WAS you at some point to a little self-reflection wouldn’t go amiss here!].
2. Craft your brand around what you now KNOW your ideal client needs / wants / likes / aspires to / desires. Choose a look and feel you know will catch their eye, package your offering in ways you KNOW they will understand and relate to. Craft everything around developing that NEED to buy from you.
3. NEVER SELL…never. Under no circumstances. Ever. Feeling we are being sold to creates suspicion and mistrust! Your messaging should be designed to make a proper connection with your audience, awaken their fears, desires, and ambitions. Demonstrate that you understand 100% where they are now and where they want to be. Paint a very clear picture of what is possible for them. Give examples and share testimonials to give them comfort that you know your stuff.

CONFIDENCE – systems, strategies, process

1. Systems can make or break your business. Having systems in place for sales, nurturing your customer through a buying journey, automating as much as possible are business critical. Systems can also help you stay organised, focussed and on track to achieving your goals. Get the right systems in place and your confidence in yourself and your business will soar.
2. For me, it’s ALL about strategy! It’s all very fine and well to set targets and have goals, but without the strategies in place to make them happen, your chances of success are slim (truth bomb!). At the very least, a solid growth and promotion strategy are an absolute necessity. Having strategies in place will free you up to get on with the business of connecting and engaging with your audience and serving your clients.
3. What steps are you taking to get from A to Z? How are you keeping track of the finances? How are your prospects moving through your sales funnel? Answering some of these questions will help you visualise the processes that need to be put in place to make things happen as efficiently and effectively as possible.

CONNECTION – audience, colleagues, coaches

1. As I mentioned above, knowing your audience is crucial, especially if you want to have any sort of connection with them (which let’s face it, you do!). Remember – your ‘audience’ are people, individuals, with lives and loves and ambitions of their own. They are busy, overwhelmed, struggling to keep it all going. Connect with them, be there for them, share with them. Making an emotional connection with your audience is step one to a successful business.
2. As most of us work from home we think that ‘colleagues‘ are a thing of the past and we are destined to roam this business world solo. This is not the case! You DO have colleagues – get yourself over to LinkedIn and FIND them. Connect with them. Reach out – tell them your struggles and you’ll be amazed at how many caring colleagues you actually do have, who’ll have your back and support you ever step of the way.
3. When I first heard a few years ago that everyone needs a solid support structure around them I kinda thought – that’s not for me thanks. But now I know for sure that we all need help. We all need to be pushed, held accountable and we all need to keep learning, developing and growing. I’ve had the honour to work with some incredible coaches over the last few years and they have transformed not only how I see my business, but how I see the world. Find the people that you resonate with, the people that you vibe with – seek them out, follow them (on social – not literally!!), engage with them, get to know them better. Take the leap and ask for a call – we are a friendly bunch who LOVE to meet new people and help whenever we can.

So, there you have it. My view on what it takes to feel like a ‘real’ business owner.

I didn’t say it was going to be easy – there’s a lot to learn and work to be done, but if you want it badly enough I KNOW you will make it happen.

Remember – YOU GOT THIS ?

If you enjoyed this blog you may also like to read I’m Self-Employed – Now What?