Thank you so much Krista! I truly appreciate the opportunity to share with your community. Always nice to make new friends and share skills! You are an inspiration to business owners and bloggers that are giving it a real go. There is so much money to be made online if we stick with it and learn from people like you!
*This post was originally published on reroutelifestyle.com
Living a life of freedom means so many things to different people. Some just want free of a boss and that can certainly be accomplished online.
Krista is already doing it, as are a few of my other online friends. For me, it’s getting to a place where I am not only free from a boss, but making enough to free myself from worry.
Always knowing there is enough to cover expenses. Enough to buy tickets and go on vacation last minute without having to even check my account because I know it’s there. Not having to save for things like a new set of tires or the annual school clothes trip.
Having a hefty savings, a healthy checking, and a massive retirement. Enough to give and donate generously. (My coaching biz is set up to donate a percentage to a scholarship fund for high school students that might not otherwise get to go to college or trade school!)
And the biggest part….having these things without having to bust my butt 60+ hours a week and ditch my family for work. I’m a firm believer that if you are doing the right things…less is really more.
So let’s get to it. These are five things you might be doing that will hold you back from growing at the pace you deserve!
You’re Trying to Build Your Business Alone
We aren’t meant to do life alone. Even the introverts. Humans are wired for connection. There are two main ways I see this become such a problem to those trying to build a business.
First, you shouldn’t try to build a business by yourself. You’ll get burned out. There are simply tasks we aren’t all that good at. So you and your ego can team up and force your way through it or, you can outsource.
Outsourcing tasks we are not skilled at saves us time and sanity. Guess what? Time is money. So even though you pay someone to do something, you are actually saving if it helps you hit your income goals faster.
I outsourced my site design to Krista. She gets it done in 1/10th the amount of time I can, and she doesn’t pull out her hair doing it cuz CSS is one of her many fine skills.
Creating a mastermind is another good way to quit doing things on your own.
A successful mastermind group will support you, hold you accountable, and help you when you need it. There are different types of mastermind groups. If you click on that link above or this one, you can learn about what the major differences are.
I personally prefer the closer knit, friends type of group.
You’re Chasing Shiny Objects
You hear about the newest, latest, greatest idea and hop on the bandwagon thinking it will be the thing that breaks you through to your goals.
Pro Tip: Consistency is what separates the “has been and never was” from the “holy shit I made it”.
An important tip here. This doesn’t mean consistently doing what doesn’t work. This means consistently showing up in your business. Being regular with your communication to your ideal audience.
You also need some trial and error. What works for one person might not work for another.
Now if you think your marketing, content, and business plan is rock solid but you still aren’t seeing results, it’s time to ask for help. This may be in the form of a coach or mentor. It might be in the form of a mastermind. There is definitely a time and place for self-development and getting past our self-limiting beliefs.
This is especially true if you have great ideas but you aren’t sure how to execute them effectively.
Another shiny object problem, trying to be everywhere. You cannot be on every single social media platform by yourself and be actively engaged. And guess what? Your audience can only handle so much automation before they jump ship. People want real connection.
You Avoid Marketing Your Services or Products
Remember what I said about outsourcing? This doesn’t exactly apply to marketing.
You have to learn to LOVE marketing. And it isn’t the same as it was 30 years ago, or even 10 years ago.
You can hire people to write your sales page, funnels, and copy for you but the problem is that it doesn’t normally sound anything like you. So either your audience doesn’t relate or they relate to the person writing the copy and not you.
That’s a problem.
If you feel icky about selling or marketing your services. you either have money block you should work through, lack of confidence in your products which is a mental block you need to work through, or a product you truly don’t stand behind.
While you shouldn’t outsource marketing, you can hire a coach, mentor, or temp to TEACH you how to find your unique voice and market to your ideal audience.
If you have a regular teammate or employee who is very familiar with your brand and audience you could possibly share the responsibility with them but it’s always a good idea to know what you are doing in this sector of your business.
You are selling something of value and you deserve to be paid fairly for your product or service.
You Suck at Managing Your Money
If you poorly manage your money the Universe will not be inclined to send you more.
Too often people that set out to become online entrepreneurs or digital nomads are in a huge hurry to start “proving their lifestyle”.
As soon as they get a decent payout, they start splurging on travel, fancy digs, or other purchases that aim to show their audience or family and friends how great their life is.
Here’s the problem with that. If you start spending too soon, you’ll certainly not be able to sustain this life when tough times arrive, and they will.
Not everyone in your audience wants the same results from their business as you either. So if you are trying to sell them on your lifestyle, you may actually turn them away. You want to sell them the results they want.
Do I want to be able to book a trip whenever I feel like it without financial worry or asking for time off? Absolutely. Do I want to travel the globe with aimless wanderlust never establishing a real home or a sense of community? No. And everyone is different.
On the fiscal side, poorly managing your money can completely cave in your business. Underestimating taxes can not just ruin your biz, it can cramp your entire life while you try to sell off half of what you own to pay off the IRS. This can even lead to a whole lot of legal troubles.
Not paying yourself first can leave you feeling resentful. Failure to reinvest in your biz can have you stuck on a plateau for way too long. Failure to give will result in the Universe refusing to send new opportunities your way.
Be mindful of your money.
You’re Scared
It can be daunting asking for sales, putting words out, and making videos or promotions for your products and services.
And it’s scary investing in yourself and hoping that all you put in will come back with returns.
Some of us have doubters or naysayers, friends and family that question what we do, how we’ll do it, and why.
The thing to remember is that your dreams are exactly that. YOURS. While it’s nice to have the approval and support of our loved ones, it’s also okay to pursue what they don’t understand. Living your true north and going after what you truly desire in life will bring out the best version of you. The version of you that all your loved ones deserve to have.
When you deny yourself your desires out of fear or whatever else is holding you back, the fangs come out. You start snipping at people you love, groaning about paying the bills and getting out of bed in the mornings. You’d like to throw the alarm clock in the toilet. Everyone gets the watered down, regretful, bitter version of you.
Your sales page doesn’t have to be perfect. The video doesn’t need 15 edits. You are not expected to be just like so and so.
Be You.
You are Good Enough
Show Up and Share Your Awesome Self!
Those who succeed are the ones who show up consistently and put in the regular effort. Because they are consistent, they figure out what works and what doesn’t over time. And yes building a business takes time.
xoxo-Deanna