Building a business is one of the most rewarding things you can do, but it has the ability to get out of control and take over your life. In this article I’ve tried to lay out 6 things for you to focus on and have in mind as you build your business, so that you build a business you love.
1.Keep it simple & focused
The more complicated you make processes and strategies the harder they will be to implement, the less enjoyment you’ll get out of them and the less likely you are to do them.
Take a look around you right now, can you simplify your desk, your office, your products, the marketing strategies you use, the process you use to take payments, the way you deliver your products, your procrastination around answering that email?
Are there elements of your business you could simply give a VA to do, freeing up your time to create, to learn, to inspire and influence people to buy your products?
And focus on what it is that you do and what you’re good at and what you want to do. Focus on one thing at a time. Make simplicity and calm and focus your mantra.
An unfocused business, with too many to do’s, with too many things going on, too much complexity leads to overwhelm. Leads to burnout. What tiny habits can you integrate into your day to day to simplify what it is you need to do?
I could simply (see what I did there, ba boom!) go one about this one all day!
I think to build a business that makes you happy is to build a business that easy to run and joyful to run.
What can you do to simplify the day to day?
2. Build a vision for your business around things you love doing
You get to create the vision for your business. It can be anything you want it to be!
Where do you want your business to be in 5 years time? What do you want to be doing? Who do you want to be working with? Where do you want to be?
Spend some time dreaming about the future. Write a day in the life of in 5 years time. What does it look like? Give yourself permission to go big. If your business can be anything, why hold yourself back?
If you want to be living in Ibiza, go for it. If you want to run an inspiration school, go for it. If you want to work 2 days a week, then go for it.
It’s scary and freeing to know that you’re the one in the driving seat. What would make you happy? Build a business for you and your lifestyle!
Work out where you want to be and then work back from there. Turn that vision into goals, and those goals in measurable actions!
3. Work with people you love
Honestly life is far too precious to be working with people who don’t light you up and make you happy.
If you’re working with customers and clients you don’t love, ask yourself who you really want to work with? Take a look at your messaging and how you’re showing up and ask yourself are you speaking to the right people? Can they hear you?
Perhaps you’re saying yes to everything because you’re coming from a place of fear. You might eb worried that work will dry up, that you don’t know where the next offer will come from, that you have to be the breadwinner.
Be prepared to say no as much as you say yes in business. Be focused on where you want to go and who you want to work with. If you say no to something that doesn’t fit, you’re creating the space to work with people you do love.
4. Be led by your values
What is truly important to you in life? What are the non-negotiables? What values do you hold above all others.
The deeper you can dig into your values and what’s important to you, the more you’re able to create a stand-out brand, define yourself from your competition, attract the perfect customers and create a business that you love.
Your values give you an inner compass that help you make smarter quicker decisions (back to simplifying things!). But make values that mean something, that are true to you. Most people say they want to be honest, most people want integrity. What’s different about you?
If you want to dig a little deeper into values check out my Happy Business Toolkit https://debbiedooodah.co.uk/happy-business with some soul searching questions to help you define your values.
5. Mindset is everything
Your mind is so powerful. It has the ability to make you feel like the most competent and amazing entrepreneur in the world. And the power to make you feel like you’re not enough and that no-one will want to buy your products.
Know that your mind needs exercise as much as your body. And generally it’s only trying to protect you. By keeping you small, it thinks it’s keeping you safe.
Think about the things you say to yourself and ask yourself are they true?
What is actually true? Keep a track of your achievements, of the solutions you’ve created to overcome difficulties. Of the loveliness of you and everything you bring to the world.
6. Love money
Say yes to money. Money is fabulous. It gives you freedom to choose, freedom for opportunities. You can share your wealth with your loved ones. You can buy things you want. And you can have a wonderful life.
I started my business after 5 years as a single mum with cancer on income support – you would be hard pressed to find a poorer woman in the UK. And I’ve worked on my money mindset to build a successful business that makes me happy and that I love.
And make sure you price your products properly! Remember you need a pension, holiday pay, sick pay, you need to cover admin costs and any support you may have, and pay for any systems of physical things you need to run your business.
And just because you love what you do, or because it come easily to you does not mean that you have to give it away for next to nothing. There is a value to what you do, value it.
But make sure money isn’t the only thing driving you. If money drives all your decisions you can end up off course a little. Remind yourself why you started your business, have your own version of success and most importantly stay true to your values.
debbiedooodah is the Happy Business Coach; an award-winning yellow obsessed empowerment & marketing coach helping entrepreneurs build businesses they love.
She's a digital marketing lecturer, podcaster, entrepreneur toolkit author, speaker and this year was named Digital Women of the Year and one of 2020's top 20 Inspirational Marketers she's also been in Forbes and The Guardian! Find out about working with her here: https://debbiedooodah.co.uk/business-coach
Photo by Ankush Minda on Unsplash
