š Greetings, Boo-tiful Business Owners! š
Bats and spiders are undeniably scary, but you know what else sends shivers down my entrepreneurial spine? Approaching my IDOL and positioning myself for an invite to a BBQ at his home. I don’t learn lessons from bats and spiders, but I sure did learn some lessons from that experience! Want to read more about it? Click here!
Obviously we had to go with a Halloween theme for our October newsletter, so bear with me. (š» Ever had a bear in your backyard? Why arenāt those on the spooky Halloween lists?!?!?!)
Being a business owner is absolutely TERRIFYING. But, hey, isn’t that what makes it thrilling too? Now I understand those people who love scary movies and haunted houses. Let’s take a spine-chilling journey through some hair-raising moments in business:
Starting!
Am I good enough? Smart enough? Tough enough? Do I really know what I’m doing, or am I just an imposter in the business graveyard? What about all the things that I don’t know? Can I afford it? Can I afford to lose my health insurance? But I’m not a risk-taker. I’m definitely not an entrepreneur, right? That word is reserved for people like Steve Jobs and Mark Cuban.
š” Tip: They all started somewhere, just like you!
Getting Customers!
Remember last month’s marketing theme? No? Might wanna go back and read itĀ HEREĀ
Maybe getting your first customer was a huge milestone, maybeĀ you overcame major obstacles, or maybe you just happened upon that ready and willing buyer.
Either way, at some point in your business journey, you will face a fear of getting customers.
For me, that was when I hired staff before I needed them. Now I HAD to get the customers to fill up my new staff’s plate! I couldn’t just wait around for the next body.
š”Ā Tip:Ā When you’ve emotionally opened the doors for new clients, they tend toĀ come. (Field of Dreams anybody?)
š”Ā Tip:Ā ALWAYSĀ stay true to yourself, your brand, and your team (if you have one).
Hiring!
Speaking of hiring ahead of needing… Do you remember your first hire? IT’S SCARY. I can remember hiring Dawn like it was yesterday. So. Many. Fears. Somehow I stomped them out and Iāve had my ride-or-die with me for over 5 years now!
The bad news? Hiring doesn’t really get less scary. BUT, you learn to use the perfect combo of heart and brain, backed by a little bit of data (don’t worry, we’ll get to that).
š” Tip: Trust your instincts and use data to make informed decisions.
Dun dun dun…finances!
Would I really be the CEO of BBA Bookkeeping if I didn’t bring up scary finances?!?!? If a tree fell in the forest…
Ok, well yeah, finances can be scary. But I promise you that they don’t have to be! When you have an amazingĀ Ā financial teamĀ behind you, you don’t evenĀ have to think about it!
Even if youāre not yet ready to outsource your finances, it doesnāt need to be scary! Whatās scary to me? When people ignore them. You can ignore them all you want, but theyāre still going to be hiding around the corner to jump outĀ and grab you when you least expect it.Ā
Take a courseĀ HEREĀ Ā .
Watch videosĀ HEREĀ Ā .
Get good softwareĀ HEREĀ (no, the free stuff isnāt worth it).Ā
Normalize talking about numbers with your partner or biz bestie.
š” Tip: Embrace your financial reports, understand them, and use them to make smart decisions backed by factual data.
SO, I’m not saying not to be scared. Being scared is OK and TOTALLY NORMAL. But I don’t need to get over my fear of arachnids in order to build the life that I love. I do need to face these business fears head-on and kick some serious ghostly butt!
Now, tell me, dear readers, what was the scariest part of being a business owner for you? Have you overcome it, or are you still working on it? I want to know more!
Share your spooky tales with us!Ā š§āāļøš»š·ļø