Starting a new business takes a lot of courage, especially when you are a solo online business owner doing all the marketing and promotion on your own.
You’re giddy with excitement, high on new ideas and you can’t wait to jump in and bring it all to life. At the same time, you’re probably also terrified that you might fail, nervous about what happens when it’s time to put yourself out there, sell, share photos of yourself, network with other people.
Some (or all) of those things might be out of your comfort zone.
Which is great – you’ll learn so much – but if you don’t show up in your business with confidence, everyone is going to sense it and your ideal customers or clients won’t be sticking around.
Don’t let your lack of confidence sabotage your success!
You’ve got to take responsibility now and cultivate a good attitude toward your skills and abilities – and keep it.
Here are my favorite confidence tips to help you get your biz off to a great start:
1. Being Brand New Isn't a Bad Thing
It’s ok to be at the beginning.
I remember worrying that no one would take me seriously as a brand new business.
I tried to think of ways to make it less obvious that I was just starting out while still commanding authority and being authentic.
The truth was, that it was ok for me to be honest about being new.
My business may have been new, but my experiences, skills, and knowledge were not.
Even if you are completely new at what you do – that’s ok, too!
You still have plenty of value to offer, and it’s a good thing to be upfront and honest about your awesome brand new business.
Make sure you don’t undermine your skills or expertise when you share about your business!
2. Notice Your Negative Thoughts but Don't Give into Them
Take notice of your negative thought patterns.
Your thoughts matter, and when you pay more attention to your own negativity than the possibility of success you are sabotaging yourself.
I used to have a ton of negative thoughts: “No one is going to buy this.” “I’m not good enough.” “I don’t know what I’m doing.” “I’m terrible at this.” “I’ll never get anyone to buy from me.”
It kind of makes me cringe when I think about where my head was back then!
Fortunately, I’ve learned a lot and learned to detach from those negative thoughts, and love the parts of myself that don’t feel good enough, and those thoughts seem to pop up less and less over time.
Bottom line: don’t believe every thought you think.
3. Create a Clear Plan of Action with Desired Results
Create a clear plan of action that includes what result you want.
Having a plan is key to feeling confident, but if you don’t know what result you are trying to get from your actions, it will start to feel like you’re spinning your wheels.
For example – if your plan is posting on social media, what is a clear and measurable result that comes from that action? Are you trying to attract new followers, engage with your current audience, get people to click on your website?
This is what I mean by a clear plan.
Everything you do should be moving you closer to a goal.
Your networking efforts should help you connect with like-minded people, ideal clients, and businesses.
4. Don't Play the Comparison Game
Don’t compare yourself to similar businesses that are ahead of you.
This is a biggie!
We don’t always know what goes on behind the scenes, but it’s likely that the businesses you follow and engage with have been growing for YEARS and they have teams of people, high-end tools, and expert consultants.
They also did NOT start out that way, which means you don’t have to either.
Use them as an inspiration, not as a standard of what you should be doing.
Even if you do know what they did to be successful, your path will probably look a lot different.
Keep your attention on what you need to do for your unique business.
5. Love Where You Are
New Mantras:
I’m learning.
Nothing has to be perfect for me to succeed.
My work is valuable.
The truth is – there is no end point to get to.
Remember, being an entrepreneur is a marathon not a sprint. Everyone gets to where they need to, one step at a time.
It is a Journey Becoming an Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is a journey, and you will always be learning, growing, shifting and problem-solving.
Enjoy the process!