A few weeks ago, when I was writing about my four business mistakes for my fourth anniversary, I ended up identifying a several more mistakes I frequently see new business owners make.
The blog post had the potential to reach novel-length, so I decided to focus on my personal mistakes for that post. At the same time, I couldn’t not share some of the other all-too-common mistakes with you.
Today I’m going to pick up where I left off earlier this month and share three more mistakes I see a lot of new business owners make, so you can be sure to avoid them.
Picking up from where we left off earlier this month, let’s jump to the fifth, sixth, and seventh mistakes I see new business owners making.
Mistake #5 – Keeping Your Genius to Yourself
I’ve mentioned this one a few times before, but it’s so important and such a block to success that I have to mention it again.
Too many business owners spend time working inside their businesses but don’t every push their energy outward into the world.
They write blog posts, they think about their next steps, they browse other people’s blogs or social media posts, and they make plans — all of which are done inside.
Although these things are absolutely necessary to do, you must also tell the world that you exist! To do that you need to push your energy out into the world, show up online (or in person), interact with others, and talk about your business.
Your clients are out THERE, and you have to go out THERE to find them. Tweet that!
Mistake #6 – Thinking That One Failure Means Something Doesn’t or Won’t Ever Work
One of my favorite words to use in business is experiment.
When I look at each new thing I try in my business as a scientist views her experiment, each action and each result is far less personal and far more objective. This is awesome because it means a failure doesn’t leave me a permanent mess on the bathroom floor, dissolving into tears of woe. Instead, I just cry a little bit for a little while and pick myself back up again and get moving. (I cry a little now and then; I am human after all.)
To see what I mean about the power of an “experiment,” let’s jump back to 7th grade science.
When running an experiment, the first thing you need is a hypothesis. You make a smart guess that doing X will result in Y.
Once you create your hypothesis, you create your experimental plan. You define the steps you’ll take to see if you get the desired result.
Then you follow the plan and see what happens. Maybe you get Y or maybe you don’t.
Here’s where the important mindset shift comes in.
When a scientist doesn’t get the expected Y result, she doesn’t make it mean she’s a bad scientist or a bad person or a failure. Instead, she looks at her hypothesis and her experimental plan and see where there might have been a miscalculation, misstep, or other error in her assumptions.
She creates a new plan and attempts an updated experiment again (and again) until she gets the desired result or understands fully why things are or aren’t happening as expected.
No where in this process do you see her beating herself up or blaming the chemicals for not mixing properly. Instead, she’s looking at the entire scenario very objectively.
When you take this approach in your business, everything gets easier. When you don’t get the sales you expect or something hiccups, it’s not personal.
You don’t spend days, weeks, or months beating yourself up. Instead, you pick up the pieces and try again. And again. And again.
The result? You make your business work faster and with a whole lot less drama.
Everything new you try in your business won’t be a home run on the first attempt. Instead, you must plan to try and try and try again with each new thing until you get it just right.
Use an objective mindset, like a scientist, because an experimental failure doesn’t mean you’re a failure! Tweet that!
Mistake #7 – Believing That Self-Employment Means Ultimate Freedom
When most people think about working for themselves, they imagine ultimate freedom. Sleeping in, long walks during the day, leisurely lunches with friends, and free time galore.
Although it’s possible to have all of those things when you’re on your own, it’s also important to remember that you want to create a business. And a business means work (even if it’s fun work) and commitment.
(Otherwise, what you really want is a trust fund, not a business.)
The #1 tip I can give a business owner who finds him or herself loving the freedom a little too much is to get themselves into a routine. Many resist this idea at first, thinking it goes against everything they wanted from entrepreneurship, but they quickly realize that a business routine actually gives them more flexibility.
The bottom line is this: If you want to make money on your own terms, you actually have to do the work that makes money. Tweet that!
It may sounds obvious, but it can be easy to forget this when you suddenly are on your own without a boss to set your schedule.
Creating your own business schedule (or a “routine,” as I’ve been recently calling it) will help you get more done in less time and create the time and space for you to also do the fun things you want, like sleep in or have lunch with friends.
Need help creating your routine? I wrote a whole post on creating a rock-solid schedule to get it all done.
I want to hear from you!
As always, I want to hear from you!
Tell me which of these mistakes you’ve made, which you’ve learned from, and others that you see that I haven’t mentioned here.
Also — I want your help!
I always want to know how I can help you and your business succeed.
In addition to telling me about your experiences, I’d also like to know what topics you’d like me to cover in future posts so I can help you build your business bigger and faster.
I can’t wait to read your experiences and also learn how I can help you even more.
Hi Jenny,
I love, loved this post. Mistake #5: Keeping Your Genius To Yourself especially resonates with me! I started to carve out extra time in my day specifically for that human interaction online by offering pitch-free solutions to questions with a facebook group. Another things I’ve been doing is letting my yoga classes know that I am a life coach for women and then prompting them to use one question or tool that I would give my coaching clients. It has been extremely helpful as I get over my fear of selling. Not sure about a future topic but will think about it and post once I do!
Love your two action steps, Mary! It’s important to find genuine, authentic ways to get the word out about what you do. It sounds like you found two perfect options. And yes, they will get you over the fear of selling. As Kendrick Shope taught me, “Selling is helping!” This means you must tell people you’re there to help them if they need it. Best of luck for your continued sharing!
“Otherwise, what you really want is a trust fund, not a business”… LOL! What I love about working on my business is that it makes me come alive. It pulses with positive energy, rather than drain my energy levels, so it should be as good as a vacation or a trust fund (when the money eventually comes in 🙂 )
It always surprises me how others (and sometimes myself included!) believe that entrepreneurship = ultimate freedom. I realized one day that I was actually wanting a trust fund, not a business. That realization got me corrected and back on track in a jiffy… because I certainly don’t have a trust fund!
I love that your energy pulses with positive energy, Saiisha. What a fabulous feeling and energy that you’re sharing with the world!
I can definitely relate to the “working inside” my business one!
You’ve helped me get clear that the “out” is just as important as the in and it all goes back to visioning (feminine energy) where it starts so you’re clear on what you’re creating and then the application/experimentation/massive action (masculine energy) so you’re out there and people know you exist!
This is an on-going lesson for me and I’m doing it right now as I promote my class tonight, Find Your spirit Realm, Find Yourself!”
If anyone on here wants to improve communication with clients, this is a game-changer.
Love you Jenny!
Diana
Love how you framed the work in the masculine and feminine perspectives, Diana! And thank you for sharing the resource here!
I love #7. My “day job” is as an independent contractor working from home and the best thing I’ve ever done is to set a strict schedule for myself. It’s the only thing that’s enabled me to earn a living while still putting meaningful time into my dream business.
Interestingly the schedule also helps when things don’t go according to plan. I’m able to look at everything I planned to do and see where I can fit in whatever has just come up, if something needs to be rescheduled, or if I’m going to need another cup of coffee to get everything done!
Love that, Emily. Both that you appreciate your day job for what it allows you to ultimately do (grow your business) and how you use your schedule to help adapt to plans that shift and change. Thanks for sharing here!
Love #7! Self-employment can mean more flexibility, but so many people don’t realise how much work it really is compared to a ‘regular’ job, or how self-motivated and disciplined you need to be. Which is cool if you love the work, which is the whole point of starting a business: if you don’t enjoy {most of} your work, you won’t work hard. Well… maybe not the whole point, but a major factor!
So true, Jeda! It does require motivation and discipline than a traditional job (where you have a boss telling you what to do and a company setting the vision). But when you love what you do in your business, it’s totally 100% always worth it!
As a graduate-educated scientist turned online entrepreneur, I have to keep reminding myself that not everyone approaches their business like a science experiment. It’s pretty much the entire way I approach *life!* Of course, with both my science research and my business, there has been plenty of crying. 😉
Fantastic. You’re a pro ready to put it into action in your biz — love it!
Oh Goddess YES! #6 – It is ALL an experiment! One of the major concepts that keeps me sane and that I love sharing with clients.
And here’s a question for a topic – how do you recommend handling it when people who don’t understand (think Velveteen Rabbit) look at you blankly when you’re sharing your passion and think your blog/website is some minor hobby instead of what you’re pouring your heart into. I know Richard Bach said to write for your tribe, but it can be frustrating to face people head on (extroverted parties and such that are out of my element) who really don’t get it.
I’m so glad that the experimental concept keeps you sane and keeps you going!
I hear you on the frustration and disappointment, Christy! It is hard to know that you have this passion that others don’t understand. I’m not sure I have specific tips for you other than just what you’ve mentioned. I remember that my people get me and what I’m up to and that most of the world (including my family!) don’t understand this at all.
It’s also why it’s so important for me to have entrepreneur friends. I have a cohort of not local women that I speak with regularly about business and life. These women GET ME and my business and all that I’m up to. It makes it way easier to run into old colleagues or acquaintance who don’t get what I’m up to and not talk about my business when I know I have all of these other women in my corner. Make sure you stay connected with your entrepreneur friends regularly so that part of you gets fed well.
xo