Building your business: Feel the fear and do it anyway
Starting your own business can be the most exhilarating ride you’ll ever go on. It’s a wild roller-coaster and you’re not wearing a seat belt.
And yet there is something that drives you to make this decision; to take this bold, crazy step into entrepreneurship. There is something deep within you that is pulling you forward, telling you that you deserve more, that you ARE more. But that doesn’t always make it any easier.
You see – nothing will make you feel more vulnerable and more exposed than being an entrepreneur, and it’s completely normal to delay taking the leap of faith into your business.
It’s easy to tell yourself you’ll be ready “when”…
…when you’ve got some padding in the bank. When you’ve researched more. When you’ve gained more followers, lost weight, learned a new skill, started the new week/ month/ year afresh.
If you think that you’ll ever be “ready” to start a business, you’re wrong. You’ll never be ready, but you should start anyway.
“It’s a terrible thing, I think, to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now, generally speaking, now is as good a time as any”
Hugh Laurie
The world needs more small businesses
What the world needs better leaders: leaders who stand up against injustice, speak their truth and who shine the light for others to follow. The world needs compassion, authenticity, integrity, honesty. The world needs more men and women to step into their power – their beautiful nurturing power – and use it to uplift communities. The world needs women in heart-based leadership positions, owning their worth and shaking shit up.
According to this article https://smallbusiness.chron.com/reasons-small-businesses-important-54131.html, small businesses “provide opportunities for entrepreneurs and create meaningful jobs with greater job satisfaction than positions with larger, traditional companies. They foster local economies, keeping money close to home and supporting neighborhoods and communities.”
The world needs YOU: just as you are. Right now.
Eat Humble Pie, Learn, Grow, Repeat
Starting a business is one of the biggest learning curves you’ll ever face, and you need to be very clear that your risks don’t outweigh your vision. The path ahead will not always be clear, and it takes a whole lot of intuition and constant decision-making to move forward at each stage. Just focus on small steps – they may be ugly, gritty, determined steps – but you have to push on regardless, keep the momentum.
DOn’t:
- Think you can do this on your own: reach out to others who have paved the way before you. Ask questions and learn from them
- Be stubborn: you will often need to admit that your way might not work. Pivot, plan and stay agile
- Ever stop learning and growing
- Think you know everything: your customers are your most ruthless critics
- Be arrogant: owning a business can bring you crashing down to earth pretty quickly. Respect every person you meet along the way, and don’t be afraid to collaborate or ask for help
- Be afraid to tell your story and make your brand personal
DO:
- Test EVERYTHING. More than once.
- Research. Thoroughly. Is there an actual need for your product / service? Who is your competition? What are they doing well?
- Know your audience. Have you sat down with them and got to know them? Have you asked what they would be willing to pay for what you offer?
- Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses: of your product, supply chain, knowledge, team etc. Highlighting your gaps will help you put sufficient solutions in place
- Focus on growth. How scalable is your business? Where do you want to be in 2-3 years time, and how can this be achieved?
- Rely heavily on your intuition
- Outsource any job that isn’t in your sphere of genius!
You will gain knowledge and learn new skills on a daily basis in your business, and that’s pretty darn fabulous. Ask for advice before you get overwhelmed, get someone to help you with planning, strategy and structure. The community of entrepreneurs is powerful and supportive, and believe it or not, we’re not in competition with each other. We believe in what we do and we want others to do the same to prove that we’re not insane!
Protect your energy
I can’t stress this enough: your energy is everything and it is precious.
Your BusinessBaby can be a demanding little beast, and it survives only through the energy you feed it. So you need to be VERY clear about where you get your energy from and where you direct it.
- Set boundaries
- Say no to anything that drains you or just doesn’t feel right
- Keep doing things that fire you up
- Surround yourself with people who support your dreams, who help you grow and give you fresh perspectives.
- Most importantly, trust yourself.
If you are tuning into your soul and have a good relationship with your intuition, you need to know that you’ve got this. Trust that you are more than capable of running a business, managing finances, being a leader. Give yourself permission to celebrate your victories and be gentle when you stumble. Trust that there are others that can help and guide you when you need it.
“And suddenly you know, it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings”
Meister Ekhart