I bet you would agree with me when I say ‘running a business is NOT easy”. I have been in the game long enough now that I can spot mistakes other businesses are making. And my first reaction is to want to help them because I sure wished for help for my own little business way back when.
So, I want to share with you three mistakes that you can easily fix if you are making them in your own business. I’m sure if you are reading this you aren’t happy with where you are right now in your business so read on for ways to stop limiting your business and get growing!
Not knowing something in your business so you just let frustration win.
I see and hear this so many times from my own clients and other business owners. Sometimes they feel challenged in some way by something in their business and instead of digging in and figuring it out they head for the hills. For example, I was on a coaching call with a client a few weeks ago and they were frustrated because they felt ‘technically challenged’ so instead of going with their plan of taking their brick and mortar store online and starting a website, they just made excuses and continued to be frustrated. That is one approach. However, it’s not the best approach considering they are leaving a lot of money on the table by not selling online. Being technically challenged or not knowing all the ins and outs of online business is frustrating. But there are so many resources online these days it’s not an acceptable excuse to not do something in your business just because you don’t know how. So, get in there. Hire a coach. Read business articles on Pinterest. Don’t be afraid to invest in your business. You can’t know it all and you are not alone. Learn from other businesses. Investing in courses for my own business and learning what I could about running a business online was vital to my success. Did I want to part with the $500 for that particular e-course that taught me how to run ads on Facebook? Heck no. Did I really have the extra cash at the time? Uh no. I have three kids and I am a single mom. But I figured it out because I knew I was worth it, I knew my business was worth it, and I knew my family would reap the benefits of me being a smarter business owner. Being a business owner means getting in there and figuring it out and doing what it takes to build upon your skills. Bottom line: If you don’t invest in learning how to run your business, you are going to stay stuck or grow very slowly.
Not setting yourself up for success by adopting the right mindset and goals. This one took a little while for me to get. My first few years in business I didn’t set goals and I didn’t know anything about the “right mindset”. But I was able to learn it through e-courses, business books, watching business videos on YouTube, etc.
You have to believe enough in your business that it will provide for you. I remember reading somewhere a long time ago that success is owning a business and watching God pay the bills. Small business is BIG time scary at some points. You don’t know if that sale is going to come in to cover the water bill, or if you are ever going to make enough to leave your full-time job. It’s also hard when you put so much effort in only to see so little return. So I will let you in on a little secret – trust that your business will provide. Trust that if you are following your dreams, that God will make this work out. Some way. Somehow. And not only trust that it will happen but thank Him even before it does happen. You know something along the lines of ‘thank you God for making a way for this to work out even when I have NO idea how it will’.
And set goals for goodness sake. If you don’t set goals and have a plan of how to reach them you are blindly leading your business in the dark. How will you know when success arrives if you aren’t working toward a goal? What do you want out of your business? What do you want your life to look like in one year? Five years? Take time to think about this and make a plan. Then break it down. What is your goal for your business this year ? How are you going to work toward that over the next 12 months? And then break down each month. And then break it down again into each week.
Having a goal, a positive mindset, and a grateful heart helps in making an unstoppable business plan!
Not investing in a good website.
Now this one kind of goes along with Mistake #1. But also ties into Mistake #2 as well in not having a goal. If you are selling online and you are selling off Facebook or another social media then I urge you to make the jump and find an official ‘home’ for your business online. There are MANY reasons to have a website and one reason is because it’s hard to take a business seriously if it doesn’t have a website. Are you running a hobby or a business? If it’s just a hobby and you don’t really have plans to reach a significant level and make some cash then keep your corner on social media. But if you are chasing a dream that is big enough that you are wanting to build something substantial and lasting, do whatever it takes to get a website by all means. I could probably write a whole book on just this topic alone. Social media is a great place to get the attention of your customers but if you want to get into the pockets of your customers (that might sound tacky but that kind of is the point of having a business afterall) then you need a website. And having a firm presence on the web (i.e. a real website) is a way to connect with customers – not just their pockets but connect with them as people. A website can showcase your business and you -the business owner- as well as what the business stands for. You can’t convey that across social media in 140 characters or less or a post that might not even be seen. Small business owners are at an advantage of being able to connect with their customers. Having a website is a great place to show them how awesome your business and you are.
3 mistakes and 3 easy solutions. If you are thinking it’s not easy to get a website up and going I am going to show you it is. If you are needing a website, how about ‘try before you buy’? Click
here to sign up for a free Shopify trial.
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The easy way. I am more than happy to help you out with that, as well. My FREE
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