Beginning in Business

Every year, thousands of people decide to start their own business and they all start with a dream. For most is about the independence provided by being their own boss and the chance to have the lifestyle they want. For others it is to realise a passion, be of service or earn a living in a more meaningful way. But whatever it is, your dream is what motivated you to start and it’s also what will keep motivating you when things get tough. Because they will get tough and there will be times when you’ll be wondering “what ever possessed me!?”

So what can you do to keep your dream alive and your motivation, and business, going? As a Life Coach, and based on both my personal experience of starting up in business and the experiences of all the clients I have worked with in the past few years, the most important thing of all is to keep that original dream at the forefront. Write it down and put it in a place where you can see it and it can constantly remind you why you started and where you are heading.

The next thing is to talk about it, and talk about it with enthusiasm and passion, because it is your passion after all, isn’t it? Talk about it with people that will help you fuel that passion even more. People like you, who understand and share both your motivations and your challenges. A word of warning though: beware whom you share your dream with. Avoid people who always make a point of telling you why it’s useless to dream anything in the first place and all the “good” reasons why you should go back where you came from and be happy with your “lot in life”. Sometimes these people are the closest to you. They do it not out of malice but out of a real concern for your, as well as their own, safety and well being. At least the way they see it. I am not suggesting that you cut them all off from your life, usually that is not what you want anyway. Just be careful how much you want to share and with whom. Make a point of cultivating and spending regular time with the people that can sustain and support both you and your dream. Sharing your dream with like-minded people has many other advantages not least the fact that, no matter how experienced and knowledgeable you are, you can learn from their mistakes and successes and give yourself and your business a head start.

Another challenge that frequently comes up with my clients when starting up is a feeling of aloneness and isolation. You wanted to be in business “for” yourself and now you feel you are in business “by” yourself. For those of us who had always worked in busy offices with plenty of opportunities to socialise and share the workload, it can be a shock to find yourself spending long working days on your own with limited social contact. When things get difficult that feeling of isolation becomes another cause of de-motivation and can make a comparatively small challenge mushroom into something much bigger, all the way to a full-blown panic attack. Oh yes, been there, done that!

Again keeping regular contact with like-minded people will help you feel that you belong to a community and always have somebody to talk to and resort to for support and advice. Somebody who understands where you are because they are or have been there themselves.

But where do you find the kind of people you want to share your dream and your experiences with? Networking groups is one place. A group of businessmen and women who share with you their willingness and courage to go for their dream and their passion can be invaluable.  It’s much more than a pool of business contacts, it’s a place where you can share experience and information. You can learn and teach what you know, you can brainstorm or just have a great time on a regular basis. All things that will help you keep your motivation and your enthusiasm high and can provide practical help when you most need it.

Another option is to find a good coach. Somebody who totally believes in you and your dream, and whose mission is to share the road with you and keep believing in you and supporting you no matter what. Somebody who doesn’t have any agenda on what you do and how you do it, other than objectively looking at it and pointing out where you are doing your best and where there is room for improvement. This could be one of the best investments you will ever make.

If you have just started in business or even are simply thinking about it and would like to know more about how coaching can support you, then call me on +44 (0)1296 337 176 or email for a free no-obligation introductory session. In this session we can explore your ideas and identify how coaching can help you ensure success.

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