Start from where you are

When you go from employee to entrepreneur, it’s really easy to become overwhelmed with all you need to learn and do.

How to organize your office, what marketing tools to use, what to tell people about your services, how to set up your finances…it’s feels endless.

I have to tell you, that in many ways it is endless. As an entrepreneur you have entered into a contract with yourself that requires performance in many areas, beyond your professional expertise.

The good news is, the best place to start is exactly where you are, right now.

Lately I have had the chance to speak with some very high powered and successful entrepreneurs as part of the Entrepreneurs Unplugged telesummit. It has been really interesting to me that many of them have said similar things about feeling overwhelmed, and facing challenges.

The bottom line is that, there really is no single best way to do anything. What many of them have said is that what’s important is to go with your strengths, and to set yourself up for success. This means, if you’re struggling with all the marketing options and you like speaking, speak… use that as a key way to get your message out. If you don’t like talking on the phone, and you want to follow up with someone you met at an event, hook up with them on Facebook and send them a quick email. You get the idea.

The most important thing is to do something, and do it consistently. A mentor of mine told me that in her opinion, one of the main characteristics of a successful entrepreneur is tenacity (my husband laughed when I told him this, because he calls me the Terminator   so I choose to take this as a compliment).

So if you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t be so hard on yourself! Simplify your action plan, don’t think you have to do it all right now, and just get out there and take steps, consistently.

Can you expect too much?

Let’s face it – if you’ve walked away from a ’secure’ career to march to the beat of your own drum, you are making a statement. And making a statement automatically positions you outside of the norm and what is expected. In fact, you’re doing something that most people DON’T do. And that can feel exhilarating.

That high will take you to places you never imagined you would go, but there is one truth, and that’s what goes up eventually comes down.

Most of us hit a point when we realize we don’t know what to do next to grow the business, and that we’re working harder than we ever imagined we would. This is not a good feeling. Our hopes fade, and we question our dreams.

I believe that most corporate fugitives totally underestimate what’s involved in running a business – because our frame of reference is completely unrealistic to the small business world.

This week, as part of the Entrepreneurs Unplugged series, I had the opportunity to speak to two successful entrepreneurs who, like many of us, struggled and zigzagged their way through the early and difficult years in their businesses.

James Roche used the wonderful analogy of a carpenter who is an apprentice and journeyman before he becomes a master. Just like we would not expect to be a master carpenter without first learning how to use tools, and then gaining experience under guidance of others, we should not expect to become masters in our businesses overnight.

Alicia Forest shared her story of being downsized from a job she loved, and how hard it was to admit a few years later that she may need to give up her business and get a job again. She turned it around, through learning new skills and by seeking help. In the process she built a six figure solo business that works for her and her young family.

I am sharing these stories because I think it’s important to get a reality check on the emotional roller coaster that comes with leaving the corporate world and becoming your own boss.

So if you struggle sometimes, I have good news for you – you’re in good company! Here are some tips to help you deal with this:

Make a commitment to yourself to do what it takes – if you can’t do this, you need to question if you really want it bad enough.

Expect bumps in the road – this is part of personal and business growth, not a sign of failure. You will experience these whether you are an apprentice, journeyman or master. How well you can learn from them, and move on, will have a direct impact on your business success. Know that you will feel overwhelmed at times and that this is part of your “contract”

Use this as your stepping off point – identify where the weaknesses are in your business, or in your mindset

Seek knowledge – learn about these areas. Learning never stops in business and in life.

Get support – don’t expect to do this alone. Join a group, find a mentor, or get a coach. You will feel lifted up just by the feeling that you’re not on your own.

 What do you need help with? I’d like to know.

Overcoming fear in business

If you have already started your business, or you are in the midst of dreaming about it, you’ll be able to relate to the feeling that ranges from nagging doubt, to heart palpitations.

It’s fear. The entrepreneur’s enemy #1 shows up in a lot of ways… limiting yourself and the sheer scope of your business, being afraid to charge more for your services, not getting the help you need, and hedging your bets by following what “everybody else” does instead of what you truly want to do.

Then there’s the heart-in-your-throat kind of fear, especially when you stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone. What if my big idea is a dud? What will others think? Will I have to go back to the corporate world? What if I fail?

Like President Franklin D. Roosevelt told the American people paralyzed in the grips of the Great Depression, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

What President Roosevelt brought to the nation was hope, combined with action. Now, I can’t promise to deliver the solution to today’s economy but I can tell you that fear is normal, and the best gift you can give yourself is permission to feel it, and then keep moving!

Know that behind every successful entrepreneur is fear – and guess what, it doesn’t go away! The most successful entrepreneurs feel it too.

In fact, if you aren’t feeling at least a little uncomfortable, you probably aren’t pushing at the edges of your comfort zone, which is precisely where you need to be to reach your most fabulous potential. Here’s what Naomi Dunford of IttyBiz fame had to say about this last week when I interviewed her for the Entrepreneurs Unplugged telesummit.

“There’s a lot of fear that goes into having your own business and it’s one of those things where I don’t think you can ever have top 10 tips for not being terrified, right? That’s not the way you can get rid of fear is with bullet points, but I think that it’s important for people to realize that if you’re not at least a little bit afraid, you’re probably not shooting for the right goals.

If you’re absolutely certain that this is going to be a cake walk and it’s just no big deal, if you have that feeling that it doesn’t put you a little bit on edge, you’re not shooting for the right stuff. You’re getting yourself a job. If it’s safe then it’s really not what business is supposed to be because I don’t think it can be exciting, if there’s not a little bit of fear attached to it. But I think it’s important to realize that between the feedback that I’ve got and people have asked questions I’ve talked to over a thousand people and all of them are scared and some of them are pretty freaking successful… just be aware that other people are afraid because then, you don’t feel so alone and I think that’s some of way the fear comes in, because fear begets fear and more anxiety.”