By Melitta Campbell, www.melittacampbell.com
No one starts out in business as a successful entrepreneur. It’s what you become in the process of creating, trying, failing and learning. There is a certain magic in learning and building as you go too, which makes creating and growing a business all the more exciting.
But this excitement is often accompanied by fear and doubt.
You know you want to start a business, but if you don’t know exactly where to start it can feel like a daunting task, leading you to feel overwhelmed and start doubting your ability to make your dreams a reality. Then the fear of how others will react to your ideas can creep in too. Success can feel like a distant dream – procrastination is often the easier option!
Fear, doubt and overwhelm are all normal reactions when creating your own business. It’s easy to get caught in a cycle of self-doubt, questioning your abilities and worrying about what others think. The result? We stay small. We don’t allow ourselves to dream big or chase what we truly want.
However, it doesn’t have to be this way. By taking the right actions, doubt can be turned into determination! Here’s how…
Ditch the traditional business plan
There’s a common misconception that to be successful in business you need to start with a fancy business plan, elaborate marketing strategy and beautiful website.
While these are important, they can often distract you from answering the real questions that will help you form the foundation of a solid long-lasting and heart-centred business.
When I started out as a business owner, I fell into the all-too-common trap of not focusing on building the right foundations first: discovering my purpose, values and objectives, and identifying my dream clients. I failed to determine what success meant for me and how I wanted to create value.
Instead, I jumped in and did what I knew I was good at and what my clients asked me for. On the outside I looked successful as I was fully booked, earned a good income and had to turn clients away. But the truth was I was miserable, as I wasn’t doing work I was passionate about and I wasn’t working with the people I wanted to help most.
So before you build your business plan, stop to ask what you truly want for yourself and your future. Define what success looks like for you. And get clear about the impact you want to have in the world. You’ll find yourself with a very different business, one that you love showing up for every day.
Start with clarity to extinguish self-doubt
You already have what you need to succeed in business: your idea, your skills and your goals. I have honestly never met a woman who lacks the talent or passion needed to succeed. But if you are like most women starting out, what you’re missing is the clarity and confidence to take action.
Often this is because you’re struggling with overwhelm; wondering how on earth you can do ‘all the things’, running your business, finding clients, continuing to develop your skills and finding time for yourself and your family and other commitments.
Whatever your challenges are, once you get complete clarity, everything starts to fall into place and feel possible.
You need Clarity of who you want to serve and how, and the ability to communicate that in a compelling way. To do that, and stay motivated to take consistent action, you need a roadmap. Without a clear map to follow, the cycle of fear and doubt will start all over again.
Build from a strong foundation
The literal meaning of a blueprint is a paper – which happens to be blue – with plans for a building printed on it. It’s a visual representation of a building’s foundations. Just as a building needs its foundations, so does your business.
To be crystal-clear about your purpose, values and objectives is like a business superpower. But that’s the first step.
Once you’re clear about your business and the difference you make for others, the next challenge is to connect with your ideal clients in a way that feels natural and leaves them in no doubt that you’re the best person for what they need. They’ll want to work with you.
Build everything from your foundation
The foundational elements of your business – understanding yourself, your value and your clients – is not just a foundation to build from, but information that needs to guide every decision you make.
What products to create and what pricing to set, for example, will depend on how you want to bring your talents into the marketplace, the level at which you want to position yourself and what your clients need most.
How you want to market your business to find and attract clients, will depend on how you want to show up, what your passions and strengths are, and what your clients are expecting from you and where they can be found.
Your sales process will need to reflect your positioning and the experience you want to create for your clients, so that it feels like a natural part of the decision process.
Achieving this isn’t always easy, especially when doing so alone. Seeking professional guidance as you build your foundation, and then develop your business model, standards and practices, can result in big rewards.
Having a business coach by your side, for example, will help you focus on the right activities, avoid common pitfalls and build your self-belief so you can enjoy more success in less time.
Attitude is everything
In business, your attitude and mindset account for the majority of your success (or otherwise!). It’s therefore essential to master your mindset and emotions.
It’s important to invest in building your mindset everyday. You can do this through reading self-development books, medication and journaling, watching expert videos, or investing in coaching or programs lead by a recognised high performance or mindset expert.
Gain Greater Clarity Today
To help you apply the above lessons to your business, Business and Communications Coach, Melitta Campbell, is offering knowitall.ch readers a free 45-minute Clarity Call.
On the call, you’ll discuss where your business is today versus where you want it to be. Melitta will help you identify exactly what’s holding you back from success and guide you in creating your next best steps.
Author's bio
Melitta Campbell
Melitta is a Business Coach and Mentor with nearly 3 decades of business experience and a passion for helping women confidently build a business they love.
She is also the founder of the Swiss Entrepreneurs Club and even held a position in 2019 as the president of the Swiss Riviera Toastmasters Club in Montreux. Not to waste any energy, Melitta is an integral part of theTEDxLausanne team. She recently foundedNew Female Entrepreneurs Club which boasts a podcast of the same name.
Originally from Wales, she now lives in Montreux in a chalet she has renovated with her husband overlooking the Swiss Alps.
www.melittacampbell.com
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