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Does Fear Have You On The Sidelines Of Success and Prosperity?
I'd like to start a small business but..."
Does this describe you at this point?
What's holding you back?
When I get the chance to ask people this question in person, often they respond that they're afraid of failing - not in so many words, mind you, but that's what it boils down to. They say things such as "I'd like to start a small business but I don't know if enough people would be interested in buying this product." Or "I'd like to start a small business but I'm not very good at selling." Or even "I'd like to start a small business but I don't know if I could make enough money to live on.
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"See? The obstacle to starting a small business is not actually about products or selling or money - it's fear. If fear of failure is what is preventing you from starting a small business, you have to get around it and forge ahead because there is nothing to fear but fear it's self. How can you break your paralysis and do this? These 10 tips will help you face your fears and finally get the guts to become your own boss.
1. Accept all your feelings. You can expect all kinds of feelings as you start or even think about starting your own business. Feelings like vulnerability, uncertainty, doubt, fear and insecurity are all normal and expected. Create a positive inner dialog with yourself, and talk about your feelings with a trusted friend. Remind yourself that you are OK.
2. Give up excuses. If you hear yourself making excuses, write them down and become consciously aware of them. One of my excuses was that I was not the entrepreneurial type. I changed this excuse into the following affirmation: I am capable of doing whatever I set my mind to.
3. Eliminate "I cant's." Become aware of when and why you say "I can't," and change it to an open-ended question like "How can I?" One client changed her "I can't" statement from, "I can't get a loan because my credit is bad" to, "How can I get a loan?" She met with a debt consolidator, worked on repairing her credit, started her business with savings and eventually got a loan.
4. Accept confusion. Confusion is part of the process of starting a business. Write about it in your journal, talk about it with friends, and know that it will pass. I realized through my own experience and the experience of clients that confusion passes most quickly when we accept it.
5. Know there is no "right" time. Entrepreneurs have started businesses in debt, with little money, with lots of money, with little experience and in all sorts of circumstances. One of my colleagues started her business with $30,000 in debt and a whole lot of perseverance. Last year, she won an entrepreneur of the year award.
6. Start small. You don't need to start your business with a big bang. Be realistic and ask yourself, "What do I really need to start a business?" Then start. One client came to me thinking he needed a $25,000 loan to start. He left realizing he could start his business without any loan at all.
7. Say no when you mean no and yes when you mean yes. Next time you're asked to do something, say yes or no depending on what you really want to do. If you haven't decided yet, say, "I'll have to get back to you." One of my clients practiced this exercise, and it expanded her sense of self-worth, resulting in her raising her consulting fees.
8. Ask for help. When you're most challenged and least likely to ask for help, reach out and ask. That's the time you need it most. My clients and I can attest to the power and clarity that comes from asking for help when we least want to ask for it.
9. Trust your instincts. Others may tell you that you're crazy for giving up a good job or for starting a business. But no one knows you as well as you. Trust what you know, and take action accordingly. The more you act on your instincts, the more instinctive you will become. Trusting my instincts led me to become the entrepreneur that I am today.
10. Treat yourself with TLC. Seek to meet your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional needs by finding balance in all you do. My clients have found that they have more creative energy and can accomplish tasks in less time when they take good care of themselves.
Enjoy the journey!
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