I live and breathe entrepreneurship because I am passionate about businesses succeeding and business owners truly enjoying what they are creating and getting rewarded for it.
I became committed to helping businesses grow and succeed when I dealt with the struggles of running a small business for many years and had to let go it go for investors when it reached over eight figures in revenues.
I remember passing a row of stores with no customers some years ago and weeping in my heart for the struggles the business owners must be facing to make ends meet and keep the business going. This was a catalyst for my mission to stop the struggle in running a business.
I am constantly studying and researching what makes businesses succeed and I have developed various courses and programs to address these struggles, but one area that business owners have to develop personally is their mindset.
In my work with various clients, this is one factor that I have noticed separates the entrepreneurs that will go on to run thriving businesses from the ones that will remain in the struggle stage.
There are various ways to develop a mindset for success in business and I will like to share 5 ways that I that I have learnt:
Have a compelling vision
When we were younger, we all had ‘ridiculous’ dreams like flying like superman or living in space but as we grew older, we were admonished to ‘be realistic’ and as we adopted this realistic perspective, we began to lose our ability to dream. As I study the stories of successful people, I have come to realize that they always started with a big dream. Their vision is usually so compelling that it drives them to keep going each day. As a business owner, your vision must be bigger than you.
I was working with a client to refine her vision some time ago, and I had to ask her to dream a lot bigger than she was currently dreaming as I saw that she had more capacity than she believed. The reason is simple; if you don’t expect more, you will most likely not get more. Even the good book says God will do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or think. So if you ask and think small in your business, you will get small.
Get comfortable with going out of your comfort zone
When I tell people that I am naturally an introvert, the first thing they say is ‘yeah right’. But if you ask the people I grew up with, especially my classmates in primary and secondary school, they will attest to that fact. I have just learnt growing older that you have to demand from life what you want and it will not happen if you stay in your comfort zone.
I have worked with some clients who are averse to selling or marketing themselves and unfortunately they struggle with not making enough sales. The truth is; people will only buy from Organizations or people they know. You need to go out of your comfort zone and put yourself out in front of the people you want to serve and be courageous enough to reach out for help. My mantra for selling is to build ‘KLT’ with your prospective clients. Get them to know you, like you and trust you.
Feed your faith, not your doubts
The moment you chose to become an entrepreneur, you chose to walk an unknown path. I told someone the other day that entrepreneurship is a spiritual journey. By that, I mean that we all going on a journey that we are not certain about the outcome, but we have faith that things will turn out right.
You have to constantly feed your faith by seeking inspiration from mentors or reading the success stories of people you admire. Constantly remind yourself of why you chose this path and make a habit of confessing what you want in your business and not what you don’t want.
Keep the momentum
Momentum is a very important factor in business. You have to keep getting better and keep focused on achieving your goals. Your business journey is personal, so keep your focus on achieving your own goals and staying on your own lane and don’t be perturbed with competition.
I am not saying you should not be aware of what is happening around you, business terms like competitor and industry analysis are important, but I am saying remain focused on your own journey and don’t let other businesses distract you especially when you are clear about where you are going. If you are not clear, seek guidance. Check out my sessions here.
Celebrate milestones with gratitude
You don’t have to wait to achieve those big business goals to celebrate. Gratitude builds momentum and keeps you going. I personally set aside one day in a week to express gratitude to God for my progress. I notice that this keeps me positive and gives me the strength to keep going even if everything is not going as planned.
Find a way to document your milestones so that from time to time, you can look back at your journey and see how far you have come. I keep a gratitude list, I know some people who keep a journal.
Like the saying made popular by Mo Abudu, if you think you can, you can…it starts with having the right mindset.
P.S: I have an upcoming business growth master class if you are interested in growing your business steadily despite the economy. You can see details here: www.talealimi.com/business-growth-master-class/
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