I’m talking about small businesses here, coaches, nutritionists, people who run their businesses mostly on their own. What makes people AMAzing at running their own businesses?
How can we be amazing at running our own businesses?
So, here’s a few of the things I’ve thought of, feel free to send me yours as well, maybe I can create another updated blog post that adds in a few of your tips!
Be nice to others!
Ahh, sometimes easier said than done. But once you run a business that is yours, you are always the face of your business. Even when you are not ‘officially’ at work. You never know who the person you’re talking to knows, whether they could be a potential customer or referrer.
Now I’m not saying go suck up to everyone, no that’s not it. If you genuinely find someone distasteful, find your excuses and walk away. I like to think of the old adage ‘if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all’.
2. Be confident
Know that you are the expert in your field and feel confident about that. You will (mostly) know more about your chosen subject matter than the people you are talking to. Know that and own it. So, when you’re up against some big guns and they’re staring at you, know that you know more than them, and they have asked you there because they know it too.
Now this is not about arrogance, it’s just about standing tall within yourself.
I love the Amy Cuddy TED lecture ‘Your body language shapes who you are’ and it’s well worth a watch. The one thing I took from this lecture was create the superwoman pose before a big meeting. It makes you feel powerful, you suddenly stand taller and you walk into the meeting exuding confidence – well worth a try.
3. Know your figures
You really need to have a handle on all parts of your business. And I’m talking about money here. Get comfortable with your money. Know how much you are making, what’s outstanding and what is going out. Know how much you’ve bought in each quarter. Work out how much does it costs you to be in business. Both in terms of time, but also systems and paid for things like Microsoft packages, training, and products you use. From here you can work out how much it actually costs to run your business and you can work out if you need to charge more to cover your costs and make a profit. Don’t be in the dark about these things, it’s not healthy! Learn to love your figures!
4. Be the best
We can always learn more, get more skills and tidy up our knowledge. Invest in yourself. If you’re not constantly on top of new developments and changes then your competition will be. Hopefully you’ve gone into business doing something that you love, so you’ll want to take the time and get really indepth with all the details. This can be reading blog posts, books, watching lectures, paying for a course or getting a coach in x, y and z. It really will pay off.
5. Delegate
As your business grows you won’t be able to do everything all of the time. You’ll get worn out and you won’t have time to spend doing the things you love. There are lots of fabulous people out there from web designers, accountants, virtual assistants and social media managers who can form part of your virtual team and get jobs done.
6. Know that you won’t love your business all the time
There is so much pressure out there on the internet about how you need to do what you love, and that passion equals profit. But we can’t all be 100% happy with everything all the time. It’s perfectly normal to wake up and think ‘urgh’, I cannot be bothered today, so and so isn’t going right, I’m tired of the hustle. When you feel like this, give yourself time to rest. Don’t beat yourself up because you’re not high energy all the time. Go for a walk, read a book, have a long relaxing bath. Recuperate and then I guarantee that when you go back, things will seem much easier and as with the ebb and the flow of life, you’ll soon be back into it.
And if you don’t and you really end up hating your business and everything about it, then something needs to change. It’s fine to say, it’s not for me anymore. No guilt.
7. Get support
Running a business on your own can be a lonely place. If you’re used to a team environment (even if you didn’t really thrive there), it can be a shock to suddenly be on your own. So, find similar people in your area or online that you can connect with. Test out different networks, try café’s where you know freelancers hang out, look for people in a similar situation, find some Facebook groups, look for co-working places in your town. Know that there are people just like you. Don’t be alone. And if you can’t find something that suits have a go at starting your own network.
I coach women in business make use of the awesome power of social media – if you’re looking for someone to grow your business on line, why not get in touch? And if running your social media profiles isn’t something you enjoy I can even manage them for you!
