Have you set a goal for yourself and your business and find yourself struggling to make it happen? Are you wondering why having the business you desire seems just out of reach? If so, you’re not alone. A lot of solo service professionals feel this way. The good news is the answer is very simple. And it has nothing to do with the economy, how long you’ve been in business or what type of business you have. Listen in as I share the secret and how to overcome this common challenge.

 

 SSMS Episode #8 – The #1 Thing Holding You Back from BIG Profits in Your Business [6:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (85)

It’s hard to believe that more than half the year is over.  It seems like time moves faster than you can keep up with when you are a solopreneur.  There is so much to do and yet so little time. 

If you have felt "stuck" with where you’re at in your business, especially as it relates to accomplishing the goals you’ve set for yourself,  I want to assure you that it is possible to get "un-stuck", breakthrough the challenges you’re facing and get back in gear.

How?

First, stop being so hard on yourself.  Many times when I start working with a new client, I find that they’ve been spinning their wheels trying to move forward and are feeling very frustrated that they aren’t making progress.  It’s all too easy to put undue pressure on yourself and to feel buried under feelings of guilt.  All this is doing is draining your energy and distracting you from moving forward.

So, if you’ve been feeling this way…let it GO!  Stop being so hard on yourself! Getting distracted can happen to the best of us and if this has happened to you, it doesn’t mean you’re a "failure".  You can’t change the past, but you can most certainly take control of your future, starting today.  Forgive yourself, make the commitment to change and open your eyes to see all of the possibilities in front of you.

Second, take stock of your assets.  You likely have a lot of good things going for you in your business.  (You may have been too busy focusing on the "negative" things to see this.) So make a list of all the things that are going RIGHT.  Also, make a list of all the opportunities you have at your disposable.  The prospective clients that have expressed an interest in working with you.  The referral partners who would like to partner with you or send client leads your way.  The request you had to speak at an industry event or conference.  Also, I want you to start capturing all of your great ideas in one place so you can refer to them again and again.  Once you’ve organized your thoughts and opportunities you can start to see clearly what your next steps should be to take advantage of them and grow your business.

Next, set some achievable goals for yourself for the next 90 days.  This isn’t the time to focus on your long-term goals.  While I wholeheartedly agree that you should have a BIG vision for what your business can become and steadily work towards that, what you need to get back in gear right now is a few "small" victories.  So make a list of 5-7 things you’d like to accomplish that seem manageable, achievable and inspiring to you.  Then break this list down into actionable tasks and schedule these on your calendar so that you have dedicated blocks of time for working on your business.

Finally, I want you to reach out for support.  Just because you are a solopreneur, doesn’t mean you have to be "in the trenches" alone.  No one who is successful in business has become so on their own.  We all need a helping hand.  If you feel overwhelmed by all that you have to get done in a day, partner with a Virtual Assistant to whom you can delegate.  Consider working with a coach to keep yourself accountable and on track with your tasks.  If you really want to leap ahead and overhaul your business within the next six months, contact me about my VIP Coaching Program and enjoy the support of working one-on-one with me AND a group of likeminded entrepreneurs.

At certain times in my business I have faced feelings of being "stuck" and have had to work my way through the challenges I was facing.  By implementing the steps I just shared with you, I was able to breakthrough my difficulties, get re-aligned with my goals and start making progress.  If I could do it, so can you! 

I’d love to hear about how you’ve conquered your own challenges and how you can implement today’s strategies in your business. Comment below and let me know your thoughts!

Sometimes, the most difficult part about being a solopreneur is keeping yourself accountable.  When you’re the boss of yourself, there’s no one looking over your shoulder to see if things are getting done.  Of course there are clients, but since they pay the bills, getting their work done isn’t usually the challenge. 

Growing your business and achieving your goals is often the biggest challenge solopreneurs face.

As a business owner, you know all (or almost all) of the things you need to do to make your business successful and prosperous.  For example, you know you should:

• Keep your website up to date
• Network strategically
• Have a plan for marketing your business
• WORK your marketing plan
• Stay abreast of trends in your industry
• Outsource non-revenue generating tasks
• Keep your financial records in order
• Invest in continuing education opportunities
• Apply what you learn

…and the list goes on.

But, while your to do list and wish list get longer, there’s often no one holding you accountable to make sure you get things done.  That’s where a mastermind group comes into play and can be the critical piece you are missing to move your business ahead.

The basic principle of a mastermind group is that like-minded professionals join forces and commit to helping each other accomplish their goals.  As a group, you celebrate each other’s victories and support each other in times of need.  One of the essential players in a successful, profitable mastermind group though, is a strong leader.

The leader of the mastermind group should be someone whose success you admire.  In other words, they need to be successful themselves first to be able to give you the direction you need to create the same type of success in your business.  Think about it, would you want to learn from a ski instructor who’s never been on the slopes?

Here’s what you want to look for in a potential mastermind group:

• A strong, seasoned and dedicated leader that has created the same results in their business that you want to create in yours.
• A group of like-minded professionals – While they don’t all have to be from the same industry, it helps if there is some common ground for support and they are at the same general place in their business.
• Regular access to the leader and other members – A forum is a great way to interact with the group and get fast answers to your questions.  It needs to be a safe place, where no question is off limits.  You also want to have regular interaction with the group through virtual and live meetings.
• A structured program designed with your needs in mind – Having structure is necessary to ensure that each individual receives what they need.  There needs to be clear expectations for the leader and each group members, which creates a supportive environment where each entrepreneur can thrive.

There are many benefits to participating in a mastermind group.  First, you receive ongoing support in your business from people who know and understand what you are going through.  While your family may be cheering you on, even the most supportive family can’t understand all the moving pieces in your business.

Second, you have friendly yet professional accountability.  While you won’t get beat up over not accomplishing your goals, a good accountability partner and/or mentor will help you identify why you didn’t reach your goals and then help you overcome those challenges.

Third, you get real life education while avoiding common pitfalls.  Working with a successful person as the mentor of the mastermind group will save you time, money and needless aggravation. Their insights and experience will help you avoid common pitfalls and give you the support you need if you’ve made a few mistakes.  And, ultimately knowing someone who has "made it" is a great motivator and will keep you inspired. 

At the end of the day, you are still solely responsible for your success.  However, that doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself.  Consider joining a mastermind group to reap the benefits of collaboration and help you leap ahead towards accomplishing your business goals.

Have you participated in a mastermind group?  Or are you interested in participating? Please share your thoughts with me by commenting here on the blog!

The majority of entrepreneurs simply don’t follow-up on leads and interest in their business.  Their lack of diligence is costing them BIG time and they’re leaving serious money on the table.  But that doesn’t have to be the case with you! Listen in this week as I share my proven seven step system for effective follow-up and start creating more success in your business…TODAY!

 

 Standard Podcast [9:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (116)

Last week’s article detailed the importance of developing your “Money Map” (a.k.a. marketing plan) so that you have clear direction on how you’re spending your time, energy and resources to attract clients, develop your business and make more money.

Once you’ve put forth the effort to create your plan, then what? This is where I see many entrepreneurs getting stuck. They go through the process of creating the plan and let it sit on their desk and start collecting dust. Or worse yet, they completely ignore the plan and run around chasing ideas, strategies or projects that have nothing to do with their actual goals.

If this sounds familiar to you, you’ll be happy to know there is an easy solution. You simply have to “WORK YOUR PLAN!”

“What does THAT mean, Sydni?” you may ask. Let me tell you:     MORE

It’s likely that earlier this month (or even late in December) you said to yourself …

“2010 is going to be different! I’m going to A, B and C and this year I’m REALLY going to do it!”

Kudos to you for acknowledging improvements that need to be made in your business and having a strong desire to make needed changes. Even though you articulated that you planned to make some specific changes, did you really commit to making them happen?     MORE