Hey Solopreneur…Are You Losing Faith In Your Business Too Soon?
As a solo entrepreneur, it’s very easy to to become frustrated and have your resolve tested by the mixture of daily business tasks, income generation, promotion and finally net income that you need to make. After all is said and done–is your business income producing or is it a glorified hobby?
For example, if you spend weeks creating a telecourse, promote it for a few more weeks, and only 5 paying clients enroll (and that has happened to me!), your energy may be zapped and you feel deflated. Or how about the client who asked you 10 million questions about your coaching program, signs up, and then decides they can’t afford it. (Ugh!)
Entrepreneurs, especially coaches and consultants, can start to feel really discouraged when things like this happen and then we start to question if the course was a good idea or if we didn’t do enough to “close” the client. Then we begin to think that maybe we just don’t know what we’re doing at all, and wouldn’t it be safer to return to get a job or perhaps try another niche. (Yikes!)
Here’s the deal though. The issue is NOT the telecourse you created nor is it that you did something wrong when initially working with your almost-new client; the bigger issue here is that you are losing faith in your business way too soon.
I know exactly how you feel…And these are the three strategies I have used and show others how to use to avoid jumping ship way too soon.
Solopreneur Mindset Strategy #1 – Maintain Realistic Expectations
Once you are on several marketers lists, it’s easy to start to buy into the “hype”. Everyone claims that they have the secrets and the solutions for taking you from zero to six figures instantly. Yet deep down you know that these claims are far from the truth. You want to believe that someone can fast forward your business so that you can make big money quickly, but it’s a false hope, and it’s zapping your energy.
The reality is that you will build your business slowly and steadily like any other six-figure and seven-figure entrepreneur. One step at a time. That is the reality of a successful business. Anyone who tells you differently is setting you back mentally. Be realistic. You can absolutely achieve the type of success that you deserve and live an abundant life, BUT that doesn’t mean that it will happen overnight.
Solopreneur Mindset Strategy #2 – Mistakes = Valuable Experience
First, I want to say that every successful business owner has made mistakes. Has made blunders. Has had embarrassing setbacks. That is part of the learning experience. Don’t look at every mediocre result as a failure, but rather a chance for learning and understanding.
This is a great opportunity for you to ask your list what types of information they are interested in learning and would pay for — which will help when creating your next product or program. And this is an ideal time to ask your mentor to look over your products, services, and marketing materials to help fine tune things for the next launch.
Solopreneur Mindset Strategy #3 – Go Harder!
Don’t take this the wrong way, but I have found in my own business that mediocre results were often preceded by a mediocre effort. This effort could very well be unintentional on your part, because you didn’t know exactly everything you needed to do to produce the type of results you were looking for. That’s ok…
That just means that there is room for growth, for a shift, and for an opportunity to dig deeper or what I like to say “go harder”. Go deep inside yourself and find the energy, the strength, and the motivation to keep going and go even harder at what you do. When you do, there is no choice but for you to see movement in your business.
This is probably one of the most important mindset strategies that saw me through some tough times. When I consider all the times that I wanted to give up, change my niche, go back a traditional private practice, I cringe. I almost made a HUGE mistake. Instead I grew more strength from each mediocre result or mistake and just dug in and went even harder. Finally, I found myself on the other side of mediocrity and on the side of profitable business owner.
While the path of a solopreneur is not always an easy road or a “safe” path to success — the journey and your ability to stay the course is what will ultimately help you thrive and flourish as a solopreneur, as a mentor, and as a human being.
Do you have any other strategies that have saw you through tough times? Share them in the comment section below.
Lisa Angelettie
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Sue says
Great advice! And I love the changes to your website, Lisa.
Lisa Angelettie says
Thanks so much Sue:)