Boost Your Confidence and Enjoy More Success in Your Business

So often, it isn’t a lack of knowledge which prevents small business owners from achieving their business and marketing goals.  Instead, a lack of focus and motivation are more often the culprits.  You may be a person who knows exactly what you need to be doing, having the head knowledge, but not enough confidence in your ability to make it happen and succeed as an entrepreneur.

Throughout the many small business communities that I belong to, both online and offline, I often see a LOT of untapped potential.  I see entrepreneurs who have the potential to command top dollar for their work, to create businesses that truly give them the flexible schedule they crave and work only with clients who respect them and value their contributions.  I see this in them, but many times, they just can’t see it for themselves.

“WHY?” you may ask?

It’s because they don’t believe in themselves.  Perhaps they doubt their worth or don’t believe they can truly succeed.  Perhaps they are accustomed to bosses, HR departments, and companies that look down on them.  Perhaps they have limiting beliefs (i.e. “I can’t charge that much” or “I can never be as good as …“) and, as a result, just can’t see the abundance of opportunity available.

This is understandable, considering many small business owners have a corporate background where they may not have been allowed to fully express themselves, use their talents or even be taken seriously by their colleagues and superiors.  When I was a corporate employee I certainly did not have the opportunity to define my future, create my own path, and make my career what I wanted it to be.

That’s the beauty of creating your own business, particularly if you sell a service.  You need ONLY offer the services you want to offer.  You can charge whatever you want to charge.  You can choose to work two days a week – or five days a week. It’s up to you what you do, when you do it, and for whom!

But to do this, one needs to COMPLETELY abandon the “employee” mentality.  Whether you’ve been in business for 5 months or 15 years, if you find that you are still approaching your business with an employee mindset, it’s time to part company with that perspective.  Begin today, to makeover your mindset and boost your confidence about what is really possible for you and your business.

That mindset shift starts with saying, “I can do this.  I can create my own success.  I deserve to be successful!  I will be successful!”  It starts with a choice.  Choosing to think differently and act differently than you have before.  It’s that simple.

Embracing the thought that you REALLY can create the business of your dreams – that what you really want and what is actually possible is within your reach – will catapult you toward success faster than any tip, resource, or strategy I will give you.

The sooner you are able to wrap your head around this concept, embrace and own it, the sooner you will achieve your desired success.

As you reflect on your accomplishments over the past 12 months and contemplate what you will achieve within the coming year, consider the adjustments needed in how you currently view your business:

• Have you set a precedent for letting your clients dictate how you run your business? If so, it’s time to put an end to that. You can’t run your business for the sole benefit of your clients. It has to work for YOU.
• Do you find yourself second guessing your decisions? If you are going to be a successful business owner over the long haul, you have to take decisive action and stand behind the decisions you make.  This means YOU decide what your standards are and how you’re going to run your business.
• Are you allowing the opinions of naysayers to hold you back from reaching your full potential as an entrepreneur? You can’t let ANYONE, including yourself, undermine your boundaries and make you second guess them.  Otherwise you might as well go back to working a regular job.

I implore you to approach your business from a place of confidence.  Present a confident stance with your tone, voice, presence, marketing materials, and especially the way you deliver your services.  Be proud of your decision to take ownership of your career and stand in the service of others.

I believe in you!  I believe that you have the talent, tenacity, and drive to be a fabulously successful service professional!  But, that’s not enough.

You have to believe in YOU too.  Because if you don’t, no one else will!

What steps will you take to makeover your mindset? Share your thoughts with me by posting a comment below.

Your Action Plan For The Week:

1. Make the decision to change your mindset!  Remember, you are no longer “the employee” – you’re the boss.  Begin to think, talk and act like the confident CEO you can be.
2. Make a list of the qualities you most admire in others who are successful.  How do you compare?  How you see yourself and your business is a choice you make every day.  Adopt the qualities and character of a winner!
3. Remind yourself of where you have been and congratulate yourself on where you are NOW. Resolve to no longer second guess your decisions, rather own them and move forward with confidence.  Not only will you have greater respect for yourself, but others will show you greater respect, as well.