I was watching one of my social media feeds recently. Folks were expressing their sorrow with the natural disasters in Puerto Rico. And their frustration about the Virgin Islands and areas which didn’t get much coverage.
I felt their pain.
But I’m an entrepreneur. We take action when we see problems. So I got off social media. Gathered some supplies. Found a drop off center. And kept listening to the media for other ways I could help.
I’m not trying to brag here. I share this story because I want you to be inspired to take action.
Rather than complaining about how things should be or feeling overwhelmed, take action. Do something. Take small steps that fit into your wallet and your calendar.
I’m not sure if my supplies will end up in the hands of those who need it the most. Or if bigger problems will change.
But I know if I sit around and complain, nothing will get done. So I’d rather take my chances and take action. A small step towards a solution.
Need help figuring this out for your business? Here are some simple ways to get started:
There are so many unknowns when running a business.
- How to find clients
- How to keep the clients happy
- How to find a ton of money to keep the business running
So it’s often easier to sit back and binge on Netflix. And stare at your fancy schmancy planner. Because who knows where to start?
The problem is TOO big.
So don’t try to tackle the whole thing at one time. Start small. Start with 10 min steps and small goals. It will help whittle down the list and give you the feeling of accomplishment.
Seems to be easier said than done?
- Sure, it would be easier if you had an assistant.
- Sure, it would be easier if you had a ton of cash
But if you don’t have those things, here is how you can start on a shoestring budget and limited means.
Don’t get distracted when things go wrong. They will.
This is a big one.
We get sooooo excited with the ideas and the plan. And when they don’t work as we expected, we are completely disappointed and not ready to move forward.
It’s embarrassing to “fail”. There are whole courses designed on how to succeed and win at life. No one offers the course on “How to fail”.
So what happens when you “mess” up? What happens when things go wrong?
Plan for it from the beginning. While it sounds logical, it’s not always easy to accept in the moment.
So make the switch in your mind in advance.
- Instead of thinking win-lose, think about all of the mini wins that you have along the way.
- Focus on being grateful for everything that does work.
- Be gentle on yourself when things don’t work out. Acknowledge that it happened. (I’m not recommending by any means ignoring it).
- Analyze what you could have done better.
I’ve done alot of things in my business that didn’t turn out as I planned. But, I’ve learned to keep it moving even when I don’t like the results. Because you won’t find solutions sitting around complaining.
Create your plan and record your wins and “learnings”
I believe in planning. But as a parent and an entrepreneur who delivers workshops for a living, I understand that things never go as planned. lol
But you gotta start somewhere.
When I first started speaking, I used to write my scripts down to the minute. And I would pay attention to where the audience laughed. Or what confused them. Or where I felt most comfortable delivering certain topics.
At first, it was cumbersome. Time consuming to list the details. But over time, I developed a good system. I could easily outline new presentations. And I always had a good way of reviewing my prior presentations to see where the wins were – and what I needed to tweak.
I recommend that you do the same thing in your business. Start with a rough sketch of what you want to create. Write down what you want to achieve in your business. And go back and review what is working and not working.
One of the best methods to do this is with the support of a coach or mentor. They will help you think/brainstorm new ways to approach the rough spots. And also provide insights into how you can increase the wins.
But you gotta start by writing everything down. Otherwise it’s easy for months to slip by and you can’t review your progress
Keep doing the work. Even 10 min counts
I can’t speak enough about this last mindset. Stay consistent. Even when you are tired. Stay consistent. Even when you had a bad day.
Do something. Just 10 minutes so that you can keep showing up.
For example, I use a receipt scanner to keep track of my business receipts. When I have a rough day and don’t feel like dealing with proposal writing or planning new content, I scan a stack of receipts.
This also helps with marketing. Marketing is one of those areas that is easy to do when you have no clients. You are present on social media or show up at networking events on the regular.
But land a few clients? It’s hard to find the time. So find ways to do short sprints to your marketing goals
- Can’t spend 3 hours daily on social media? Be active in a few key areas 1x a week and make sure that one of your profiles is active.
- Can’t attend all of the networking events? Attend 1 or 2 and follow-up with your new contacts once you get home.
- Haven’t sent an email newsletter or other marketing campaign out for months? Block out 4 hours and send out one that is shorter than you would prefer. If you normally send five pages of content, send one. Get over the thoughts and just send it out.
I hope that these tips have inspired to take action!
