All business owners start their business with a mixture of excitement and fear.
Their largest fear? Just like an addict who is trying to get clean, it is of failure. Whether they will admit it or not, the thought of losing their business, especially due to their own mismanagement, is enough to paralyze them.
Confronting your fears by meeting them head on is the only way you can get past that initial starting point and build a successful business and the most important way to do this is through planning. Acknowledge your fears, rather than pretending they aren’t there.
Running a business is serious. It’s difficult and it’s a lot of work. Thinking otherwise is a recipe for disaster. Just like a job or profession, don’t allow your business to be your whole identity. While it’s ok to identify with what you do, what you do is not who you are. It’s a part of what makes up a whole and the sooner you learn this, the sooner you will be able to focus on the parts of your business that scare you the most.
Has competition always frightened you? Though most of us know people who thrive on it, the majority of us steer away from competition as much as possible. Yes, you are competing with other businesses for customers but more importantly, you are doing the best you can to make your business the best it can be. Concentrate on competing with yourself.
Don’t let your business take over your live. All of us need an outlet and you need to find one that helps you clear your head and separate you from your work. While this is especially difficult for those of us who work from a home office, it is even more important that we find a way to look after ourselves first and then take care of our business.
Having emergency plans in place if the worst should happen will help you overcome your greatest fear and means that you will worry less as your business grows. Invest in yourself and your business, rid yourself of the bad habit of worrying and use your time in a more productive way.
Rather than letting fear take over, think to yourself, what one little thing can I do right now, to feel better about this – instantly, you have lessened the impact of whatever scares you.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015
image courtesy of overyonderlust
