Laurie Hayes

Tough Love Advice For The Home-Based Entrepreneur

Not where you want to be with your home business? Feel like a never-ending uphill battle? If things aren’t going as planned, it’s time to take a good hard look at the cause – which is closer to home than you think.

Sometimes a good ‘ol pat on the back for trying and a “You can do it” pep talk just aren’t enough to get you out of a slump and onto the fast track. As a matter of fact, they rarely do much.

The results you experience in your business come from the thoughts you think and the actions you take (or don’t take). You are one hundred percent responsible for where your business is today and if you don’t like where it is, it’s time for some tough love changes.

Let’s begin by taking a look at your thoughts.

How many of these relate to you?

-         I have to do it alone

-         No one does it as well as I do

-         I can’t trust anyone else

-         There just isn’t enough time to do it all

-         I’m not skilled enough

-         I’m not smart enough

-         I’ve never done that before. It’s too scary to try.

-         I’m uncomfortable with that, so I’ll look for a way around it.

-         I’m not working hard enough or long enough. I must work longer hours.

-         I’m not interested in that stuff.

Do you see yourself anywhere in the above statements?

If you want to succeed at business the first rule of thumb is, “You must be willing to be uncomfortable about things and do them anyway.” Successful entrepreneurs are always uncomfortable. Fear, procrastination and excuse making are not your friends.

If you are allowing any of the above-mentioned thoughts into your mind, stop them as soon as you notice them and replace them with an opposite, positive thought.

For example, “No one else does it as well as I do.”  Is that really true? Is there no one else who can answer a phone as well as you do, respond to e-mail as well as you do, stuff envelopes as well as you do, make posters or update your web site as well as you do?

Look at every single task you perform and honestly assess whether you are the only person in the world who can do it right. Entrepreneurs are notorious for perfectionism. Successful entrepreneurs are notorious for releasing that need for perfection and focusing on the bigger picture.

Let’s create a turn-around thought from, “No one else does it as well as I do” to, “There is someone who would be perfect for this task. Someone who will free me to up to do what I do best, grow my business.” Then -- go find that person!

Riding on the back of those self-defeating thoughts is action and lack thereof.

How many hours a week do you invest in television, reading magazines, newspapers, talking on the telephone to friends, listening to other people’s problems, saying yes to others and no to yourself, and picking up after other people who are more than capable of picking up after themselves?

On the flip side, how many hours a week do you commit to learning about sales and marketing, attending networking events, meeting new people, developing new skills, reading biographies on successful business people, reading publications related to your industry, learning about your competition, studying your target market, enrolling in classes and programs, or working with a mentor or coach?

Discipline is critical to your success and although some of these activities take you out of your comfort zone, your business will not grow until you do.

When you’re interested, you do what’s convenient.  When you’re committed, you do what it takes.

It’s all up to you.

2007 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source

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