What Entrepreneurs MUST Bring on Every Entrepreneurial Adventure
[ Download a free business tool as my gift — BELOW! ]
Imagine that you and I are taking a road trip together… WEEEEEEEEE!
Picture you and I, sitting in a little red convertible… with the top down, scarves in our hair, and smiles on our faces!
We’ve like little kids — absolutely GIDDY about the adventure before us!
We have energy to burn, hope in our hearts, a great sense of humor to pass the time, and a big, wide world spread out before us.
BUT…..
After driving for a few days — randomly shouting cheers of euphoria and waving our hands in the air — our energy starts to wane.
Because we’ve forgotten 1 MAJOR item…
A MAP!!!!!!!!!
And while the adventure starts out super-fun, it quickly turns sour.
We quickly blow through our cash, our food, our sunscreen…and our Spirits!
Finally, after enough days of wear, tear and worry, we give up. Pull the car to the side of the road. Stick out our thumbs.
The jig is up.
Back to our pre-adventure life. (Booooooooooring!!!!!!)
Here’s the schtick: This is NO silly story! This is the way real-life rolls for most female entrepreneurs.
Without knowing clearly where you’re going, and having a leveraged plan that you can build on over time, your work feels more like:
1. Massive burn-out.
2. Massive self-doubt.
3. Massive wasted time.
And that sends 65%+ of entrepreneurs calling it quits — and leaving dreams, money, and meaning on the table.
BLAH!
So start by answering this 1 important question:
1. “Where do you want your business to be 5 years from today?”
I know SO many women who are workin’ their buns off with no clear focus or smart business plan — just putting out endless fires, and getting just about as far as a dog on a treadmill.
If you don’t move forward with a clear idea of where you want to go, you’ll never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever get there. (Did I say “ever?”)
ACTIONS:
Whenever taking business action, make sure you’re laying foundational stepping-stones toward your big, bold, beautiful dreams by:
1. Taking time this week to write out your Mission Statement — a description of where you’re going.
2. Plotting your next 1-year business plan on a piece of paper — your map on how to actually make it to your final destination.
(Not sure what your long range vision is? Unsure what business plan to plot? Make sure to sign up for a Breakthrough Session with me so we can discuss your next steps: http://www.UnstoppableApplication.com )
The next VERY IMPORTANT (and rather obvious) insight is:
Business is BUSINESSS.
It’s about making a profit with your uniquely divine gifts. (Because if you’re not making money, you’ve simply got a VERY expensive hobby.)
So the next important question you must ask about EVERY action is:
2. “Is this activity DIRECTLY linked to bringing in more income?”
Now, am I saying to focus solely on making money in your business?
NO.
But what I AM saying is: You won’t HAVE a business (or be able to make a difference at all), if you do don’t take the kinds of actions that help you pay your rent.
Most female entrepreneurs are doing everything upside-down — focusing on long-range, complex or “Magic-Bullet” marketing.
Or… they’re simply burning the midnight oil — working from dusk till dawn — on utterly pointless, money-flushing activities, creating an artificial sense of accomplishment. (This is usually because they didn’t answer question #1 above.)
Until you have a BOOKED-SOLID business, you can’t afford to focus on advanced marketing and business strategies.
That’s like building a pyramid from the top DOWN — floating in space without any solid foundation.
No new entrepreneur (or seasoned one, either) can afford to waste hours on email, internet, or any other time-sucking activities that are not DIRECTLY money-generating.
So this week, click here to download your new best friend: my own trusty “Time Tracker” — and try it out for the next 7+ days straight:
http://www.jointheunstoppables.com/DOWNLOADS/TimeTracker.pdf
Begin opening your eyes to how you’re REALLY spending your time! …And if you’re like every one of my private clients (and myself) you’ll be totally SHOCKED by what you find.
Once you uncover where you’re leaking time, money and energy, start taking steps to plug those holes and create new habits.
ASAP.
Knowing where you’re going, and honoring your business AS a business, will have you making money AND making a difference. …FINALLY!
And if you ask me, that’s a pretty wondering thing, indeed.
Share YOUR new insights below in the comments section. And come pick up a tip or two from your fellow Unstoppable Soul Sisters, too!
PS: If you’re hungry for TONS more tips on building your business and getting booked solid with ideal clients, make sure you sign yourself up for this week’s totally-free training, where I’ll be teaching you:
THE TRUTH ABOUT GETTING THE BEST CLIENTS —
How to find your next 5 clients who will happily pay you more, deeply appreciate your work …and refer you to their friends!
Make sure to sign up here, if you haven’t already: www.NextFiveClients.com
Until next week: Be Unstoppable! And I’ll see you on the call…
© 2012 Stephanie McWilliams LLC
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