Make Fear, Fear You

If there is ONE thing that prevents any business owner from pushing forward, it is FEAR.

Trust me, I’m guilty here.

I think any business owner or person in a decision-making capacity deals with this factor.

When I first started my business in 2018, I had a BAD case of the “what ifs.”

What if my business crashes…

What will my friends and family think…

What if my customers hate me…

You get the jist.

The truth is, all of these negative thoughts stem from fear and the good news is…it is 100% totally natural!

(Now everyone join hands and sing in unison)

Ok, glad we got that out of the way. 🙂

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Here are 3 practices that have helped me push forward in my business and poke fear right in the eye.

1. PREPARE: Seriously, this is a no-brainer but the practice of it is what makes the difference. Make spreadsheets, run numbers and be realistic with your calculations to establish a base line. There have been times we have had a client roll off of our roster and every single time, I have a slight panic. But then I go back to my excel spreadsheet where I prepared my year’s budget and I immediately calm myself down. “We are ok….” and then I move on quickly. Put TIME into preparation. It will help you in the short run and in the long!
2. KNOW YOUR ROLE: In society, owning your own business is a concept that most of the population won’t understand. At times, it may feel like you’re on an island or walking to the beat of your own drum…and you ARE! That’s the fun and exciting part that attracts people to entrepreneurship. The majority of education curriculums focus on the development of skillsets to help individuals be successful in their chosen industry when they enter the workforce. Little time is spent on the methods and steps to build your own business. To understand in the beginning of your journey that you are going against a societal norm and that most people, even those in your close circle, won’t understand your goals or desires as a business owner is very POWERFUL in itself.
3. USE FEAR TO PROPEL SALES: Every business breakthrough that I have ever had in my companies have been created during a time where fear was prevalent. I started my business during a time when the health care system I was working at was firing leadership in key roles and completely uprooting a marketing strategy that we had spent a whole year working on. It made me nervous and frustrated to work for other people, so I started a side hustle business which turned into a full time career. I went through a divorce which made me very nervous to be the sole provider for a household so I pushed sales as hard as I could due to the fear of survival. This made me reach my first 10k month. After a year, I knew that I needed to begin to hire help because I had no time left to manage any more. I started to fear that I would outwork my own sanity so I hired full-time help and we doubled sales that month.

Fear is definitely an important factor when owning a business. But there is a way to let fear propel growth and use it in a positive way instead of letting it consume your mind!

Questions? Email me at brie@elkmediaco.com.