There are so many barriers to overcome when starting a business. Coming up with a viable idea. Securing investment to get started. Finding your first customers or clients. Planning and implement a successful marketing strategy.
But probably the biggest hurdle you’ll face is overcoming self-doubt. If this is your first business you may worry that you don’t know what to do. Maybe you’re not born to be an entrepreneur?
Often these thoughts and beliefs are subconscious, which means we may not even be aware we have them. But if they are there - and there’s usually at least one or two doubts lurking in most of us - they’ll manifest as acts of self-sabotage.
These acts of self-sabotage can take many forms. It might be, because deep down you don’t believe your business will succeed, that you make decisions that keep it small, or even doom it to failure. Or you can be drawn to tasks that are easy and comfortable, but don’t grow or even benefit your business.To help you avoid falling into this trap, here are three ways you can stop self-sabotage when you start a business, by Hannah Martin the founder of Talented Ladies Club and Host of the Get Rich Slow podcast.
Take tiny steps to beat procrastination
If we are starting on a big project or working towards a big business goal, hidden self-doubt can easily lead us to procrastination. Because we worry we’ll fail, our brain doesn’t even let us get started.So how do you overcome this? Easy - by tricking your brain! When we face starting on something big it can feel overwhelming. We can’t envisage getting to where we want to be, so we don’t even try.
The key to beating this is not to start on the big thing, but just tell yourself you are going to do one minuscule thing, and then stop. Often you find that once you have done that one, tiny thing, it’s easy to do another tiny thing. And before you know it, you’ve made progress and maybe even got into flow and want to finish the task you have started.So the next time you need to start on a big or difficult task, just find one easy, quick first step and tell yourself you’ll just take that.
Stop time-wasting tasks
Another way we can hamper our own success is by tying ourselves up in time-wasting tasks that make us feel busy, but don’t get us anywhere. Tasks like checking your emails or social media. Tasks that are either unnecessary, non-urgent and unimportant.
It’s easy to fill an entire morning or even day with time-wasting tasks like these. And yes you can feel busy and con yourself that you’ve got a lot done, but the truth is that your business is no further forward, and the real tasks still need to get done.
So what’s the solution? Focus Blocks. These are focused blocks of time (usually 90 minutes) in which you work on specific tasks in flow. You can achieve a LOT in a Focus Block. Here’s how to use them:
- Pick a theme - Don’t choose random, unconnected tasks to work on. Instead pick one theme or task for your focus block and stick to it. This enables your brain to get into flow and become more efficient.
- Choose a clear goal - Decide on a clear goal that you want to achieve. Make it ambitious but realistically achievable. For example, completing the first draft of your launch marketing plan.
- Chunk your goal into steps - Chunk this goal into steps to give you a to-do list to work towards.
- Eliminate interruptions - Make sure you won’t be disturbed by telling people you are unavailable and turning off notifications and alerts. Switch your phone off.
- Work quickly - Allow the pressure of only having 90 minutes to work in to motivate and energise you and work quickly.
- Reward yourself - Promise yourself a reward at the end like a coffee or a half hour break to look forward to.
Invest in your success
One of the biggest ways that first time business owners can self-sabotage is by failing to invest in their success. This can be because deep down they worry their business won’t work, so any investment will be futile. Or they may labour under the false belief that they should know how to do everything innately.
The truth is that few successful businesses grow without investment. This can be by buying the equipment or supplies they need to create and deliver quality products or services. Or by investing in the right talent to help - or even by investing in the skills and growth of the entrepreneur themselves.
You’ll grow faster and bigger by making wise, considered investments in your business. Trying to find the cheapest solutions usually leads to wasted time, disappointing or slow results, and substandard offerings.
That’s not to say you should open your wallet and throw money at every opportunity to spend that comes your way. But don’t be afraid to invest in the right areas. Consider each opportunity to invest and what the return on that investment may look like. Not every investment will always work out, but if you weigh your decision carefully and do your research you’ll enable your business to grow faster.
Don’t let your worries keep your business small
These are just three of the most common ways business owners stymie their own success, but there are many more that trip up potentially successful entrepreneurs.The good news is that by following best business practice, and working consistently on the right areas - and not letting niggling worries hold you back from making ambitious decisions - you can can overcome self-doubt and grow your confidence AND a profitable business over time.
