Tips for busy service based entrepreneurs who want to earn more
Do you have a LinkedIn account? Great! Get a stack of business cards – collecting dust – and add them to your account. The cards which frustrated you because, you didn’t know what to do after you first met the person.
Finding and building relationships is TOUGH when you run a service based business. You know that marketing is important – ie. attending networking events and conferences or meeting for coffee.
But every hour you spend marketing is a lost hour on a client project. I had it happen myself this week. I wanted to work on my social media marketing plan. But two clients called. And my planning went out the window.
Since it’s time consuming to maintain business relationships, consider LinkedIn as part of your marketing plan.
But enter the cards in manually. Why? Can’t you automatically upload them?
You can. But you’ll want to read more to see why I recommend the manual method. Even if you are time strapped. And even if you’d rather be doing anything BUT marketing.
If you are a one person business owner, you’ve probably had this occurrence. A business/professional issue. A personal issue. Something that causes you to get into a funk – aka you don’t want to get out of bed and your energy is totally lacking. You have no creativity.
I’ll share two tips for how you can embrace the funk…without letting it destroy your business.
Y’all I hosted a vision board workshop. And we didn’t even get to the part where you create the board. But, I couldn’t be happier! LOL
Why this insanity you ask???
Because visions boards are about much more than pasting pretty pictures. It is more than cutting fancy ads about the doodads you want or places you want to travel.
It’s about tapping into your core dreams.
Uncovering possibilities that you have buried.
And drafting a plan to bring this ideas to life.
Without feeling overwhelmed or stressed out.
Because here is something many entrepreneurial leaders know about goal setting and dreams:
When I first heard about vision boards, I thought they were for people who believed unicorn poop is magical and money trees do really grow. I was too busy sweating in the trenches.
Focusing on SWOT analysis and keeping the damn lights on
Finding new customers and keeping them happy
And my all time favorite, return on investment. Or as I like to think about it – will my blood, sweat, and tears today pay off tomorrow?
I didn’t have no stinkin’ time to be pasting pictures on a posterboard. I was building a business!
Until I realized recently how vision boards REALLY work.
Ever get stuck trying to figure out your company brand or mission statement? Those worksheets are hard in the early stages of your business. Because you have NO idea what matters most to you or your future customers.
Prefer to read it? Or don’t have any headphones handy? The edited transcript is below.
Why you need a vision board before you start your business
This is Malla Haridat here, helping you kick start your business.I am a small business coach and I love helping folks take their business to the next level.
I just came off of a week of having a nasty, nasty sinus cold, so if you still hear me very nasally, my apologies in advance.
But I’ve just had something in my spirit that I want to get out.
What is a Vision Board?
So, first of all for those of you that may not know what a Vision Board is. A Vision board is simple.It is you basically sitting down with your six-year-old self-cutting out visuals or words that call to you.
Nervous about flipping the switch to start your business? Because you don’t have everything “all together” yet?
STOOOOPPPP the nonnnnnnsense. You ain’t never gonna get it perfect. Just start.
Before you are ready
Before you have things organized
Or perfect
And for the ladies who are about to flip me the side eye……I’m talking to you. Start telling people why you can help them solve their problems. Before you are comfortable.
I was chatting with friend recently. A really smart woman. In school getting her Masters. Working full time and handling family and life responsibilities.
She knows I coach entrepreneurs. She started proudly telling me about what she developed already in the pre-launch stage of her business.
Legal status
Business cards
Location
Website
But there was something missing. And it’s common for entrepreneurs who are creating businesses that connect their heart with their future invoices.
It’s tempting to get “goo goo gaa gaa” over creating new goals at the beginning of the year.
The sales teasing you to buy new planners
The webinars inviting you to set powerful intentions
The books, blogs, the articles that beckon you to live your life fully
The feeling of being left out if you don’t make big goals
I love all of it.
But please don’t buy into the hype this year. Don’t get stuck planning. Get started on DOING. Because I want to see you smile when the clock strikes December 2017.
Stop stressing on the possibilities. Yes, those are wonderful. But what matters is:
Because you can do this 1 thing and set better business goals next year
Take an honest look at your numbers.
I know. This isn’t the “whoo hooo we are goal setting ” moment that you wanted. No planners. No cool strategy maps. No vision boards or business plans.
Instead, it’s a quiet moment of reflection for some. Or a “Let’s come to the altar and pray ” moment for others.
All you need to do is ask yourself two questions:
How much did I make?
How much did I spend?
Do not JUDGE your wins or “fails”
If you are anything like the Type As I often work with, you’ll feel like a failure. It’s easy when you start thinking about your plans for the year. The comparisons with other businesses. And what you know in your heart your business can earn.
Instead consider yourself a researcher. Someone gathering data. Numbers that don’t mean anything. No stories.
