Taking the Leap. . .

The first major hurdle to starting my business was taking that first step, the leap of faith, and learning to trust myself. For some lucky entrepreneurs, trusting oneself is a lot easier than trusting a market, large company, or boss. For me, the leap, plunge, take off, whatever you want to call it, was far more difficult than it sounded.

After sitting in an office giving advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs, I decided that it was time to hop to the other side of the desk start my own business. The reasons were simple.

A) After working with so many entrepreneurs, I wanted to try it for myself.

B) After moving during this horrific economy, I struggling to find a job and I wanted a way to make some money.

C) Every time I pass a “for Lease” sign in an empty window, I know a small business dream has been lost. I love small businesses and wanted to share my hard-won expertise to possible help save dreams (and life savings!).

This all sounded good in theory, but first I had to start my business and learn how to feel like a real business owner.

Working with small business owners, I have seen the metamorphosis take place. When they first walk through my door, the would-be business owner looks a little shy and a little hesitant. More often than not, they lack the confidence so necessary in the business world. After a while, I watched as their heads go up, and their shoulders straighten. I enjoy watching them give their elevator speech with confidence and talk about their new business naturally. When a friend asked me about my would-be business, I knew that I was on the before vs. after part of the change. Even though I knew that I had made hundreds of entrepreneurs happy with my service in the past, because it was for someone else, I had no confidence.

According to my entrepreneurial friend, a business owner must believe in his or her own propaganda. You know that your product/service is great. That is why you want to turn it into a business. My biggest problem was convincing myself that I have value. After reading the wonderful book, “Secrets of Six-Figure Women” by Barbara Stanny, I gained a bit more confidence in myself.

My first step was talking to strangers about my potential business. Strangers are the best. If my pitch did not go well, I would never have to see them again! I started talking to any small business owner I could find.

At first, I had to fake the confidence. I try to remember the praise of my clients and remember that they were happy with my service others will be too. Another suggestion is imagining you are your favorite celebrity, put your shoulders back and speak with confidence. Practice makes perfect and the more you talk about your business the more it becomes real.

Soon, you will find yourself wishing that you had business cards, even without a perfect logo or a website that is up and running. By talking to people and gaining confidence, you have found your first potential client. Welcome to the world of entrepreneurship!

Stay tuned for future postings…