Listen here:
I hear so often from so many women how much they want to run their own business, to be an entrepreneur.
There is something about that sense of independence, that being your own boss and setting up your business around your lifestyle. What a wonderful feeling to know you have created something from the bottom up and your success shows through not just by you being a stronger and more autonomous woman but you’re making great income as well.
What’s not to love about that?
The sad piece is that this is not the reality for most women. Being an entrepreneur and running your own business, any kind of business is not for the faint of heart.
You hear people talk about all the pieces that are needed to get your business going, your website, blog, article writing, and on and on. And yes, those pieces are critical.
You also have heard me talk about knowing your “Why” before you even start. You must know ‘why’ you want to run your own business because when you get stuck and frustrated (and you will) you need to remember ‘why’ you are doing this. Maybe it’s more savings for your retirement or for travel or buying that 2nd home.
In addition to your ‘why’ is your commitment. Are you truly committed to doing all that it takes to make your business sing?
That means having a solid website, using your blog as a tool, religiously writing articles and submitting them to article banks. It means choosing a niche, knowing your Ideal Client and knowing your target audience.
Think about how you would like your business to look one year from now. What will it take for you to get there? What kinds of programs and services do you want to offer? How much money do you want to make? Write it all down with pen and paper. Be as clear as you can possibly be.
Now I want you to look at your business as it will be one year from now. How did you get there? How did you achieve all those successes? I hope you are thinking to yourself, I had my ‘team.’
You cannot possibly do all the things that need to be done by yourself. I know of no one who can do it all, and even if you could why would you? No one is an expert in everything.
If you are truly committed to having your own business this is one commitment you must make. At the very least you need a coach who can help you move forward powerfully and keep you accountable. You need a virtual assistant to do the things you don’t know how to do or want to do. Personally, I have no desire to learn how to do autoresponders or the shopping cart. You can hire people from $15 an hour and up to do these things. If you wish to use people outside of North America you can find help for $5 an hour.
Part of your making this commitment to yourself is to understand that there is a certain amount of financial commitment that needs to be made. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but it needs to be available. Is it worth reworking your budget so you can get your business up and running and/or taking it to the next level of success? This is where you really need to think about your level of commitment.
This may sound like I am trying to talk you out of owning your own business. I am not. I just want you to know how important this piece is for your success. It means making a decision and then taking action on it.
I am proud and happy to say I have had my own business for almost 3 decades now and I can’t imagine my work life being any other way.
Action Step: I ask you to write down where you see your business in the next 12 months. Then I want you to back it up and write down all the pieces that need to happen to get you to your goal. Are you committed to making this work? If your answer is ‘yes’……..then you will feel me smiling at you. (And a ‘no’ is ok to, best to know thyself!)
Business Success
It is true that whether you are a male or female, running your own business is most definitely not for the faint of heart. It requires substantially more work and strength than many people realize. I agree with everything that you say in this article, and would like to stress the importance of what you said about needing outside help to reach your full potential. So many people are convinced that they need to do everything themselves, and it not only drives them nuts, but hurts their business. Hiring outside help, and being open to outside input, is ESSENTIAL to business success. You mentioned hiring people either within or outside of North America. Another option, and one that I employ myself, is to bring on interns. This can be an even less expensive, or even free, way to help build and maintain your business.
Bravo on the advice given here Kim. I think that what you said here is so important for every individual considering opening their own business. There is a lot more thought and planning that should go into the decision than many people think, and you made that very clear.
Samantha
Owning your own business is very rewarding, but it also takes a lot of work. Eventually, I want to own my own business. My mom owns her own business and has been able to rearrange her work schedule in order to work around my brother and mine’s schedules, so she hasn’t had to miss our major activities. The flexibility is one of the most beneficial aspects of owning your own business from my experience. As a recent college graduate, I am in the “gaining experience” stage. In order to be taken seriously and have the credibility necessary to open my own business, I need to first work for someone else. My mom took that same path, and it has proven to be successful. Building a network and gaining expertise before trying to start from scratch helps to give a solid foundation before trying to do it all on your own.
Kim Kirmmse Toth
Yes, Samantha, you are absolutely correct! It is a lot of work but it is so worth it. I started my own business when my girls were invitro :) and 2 years (they are now 25 and 27!) and I did that for just that reason, flexibility. Congratulations for finishing college! And I totally agree you will be grateful later for the experience you will have working for someone else. You will also learn a lot about yourself. You sound like a very mature young woman and you will go far. Your mom must be very proud of you and she is an excellent role model!!