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!

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)

Leveraging different ways to market your business is important to keep your name and service offerings on top of your target audience’s mind.  It also helps you diversify your marketing portfolio and measure the results of your activities to determine which methods work best for your business.

One way to market your business is through sharing your expertise through public speaking.  By sharing your expertise with others, you are helping your target audience solve problems, but more importantly, you are establishing yourself as the expert.  Once your target audience sees how knowledgeable you are, they will likely want more information from you because they see you as the best service provider for the job.

If you are shy or not quite ready to be front and center on stage, consider joining a panel of experts.  By participating in a panel at a networking event, or even a local radio show you will have a chance to speak to your target audience without having to prepare a formal presentation and have “all eyes on you”.  Panels offer you the chance to answer questions and share your point of view with the other participants; yet still showcase your expertise.

For example, we have an annual home and garden show in the Bay Area.  If you haven’t been to one of these shows, there is typically one major project where many companies can participate.  This project is usually a model home built in the event arena.  So this showcases the builders, interior designers, alarm installation companies, landscapers and home theatre stores (just to name a few).

During the event, visitors can tour the home and there are business cards placed throughout the exhibit.  Then, on the last day, there is usually a Q and A session with the participants about the home they built, the materials they used, the cost, etc.  With everyone joining in on the panel, it’s a great way to educate the audience on the project and their expertise.   Additionally, this gives the panelists a way to interact directly with their target audience and find out what their challenges are by listening to the questions they ask.

I’ve had the opportunity to participate on a number of panels and have really enjoyed the experience.  It’s a great way to connect with complimentary service professionals and create “Power Partner” relationships.  (“Power Partners” is a concept taught by BNI that entails complementary service providers partnering together to serve each other’s clients).  In addition, each event has created great exposure for my business, allowing me to further build my subscriber list and attract new clients for my programs and private coaching services.

Put forth the effort to seek out panel opportunities either in your local area, via online radio shows or industry events.  Let those in your network know that you’re open to sitting on a panel.  And reach out to event/meeting planners to offer your support.  This will give you the opportunity to share your expertise without having to worry about being in front of a live audience on your own.

Have you ever participated in a panel or been interviewed? If yes, how did it help your business? How did it help you connect with your target audience? Share your thoughts with me by posting your comments below!