There’s so much about running your own business that’s never adequately addressed! People act like you just get an idea, hang out your shingle, and once you get customers, that’s success.
But it’s not like that, is it?
Here are the three most common situations my consulting clients are in.
“I started my business just a little while ago. Business is good. Am I allowed to say that it’s TOO good? I have so much work and I’m just exhausted and overwhelmed. I know that there are systems I can set up to handle the work better — I could probably even raise my prices — but I’m just too frazzled to figure it out. I just need someone who understands me and my business to tell me what I should do.”
“I’m an experienced business owner. I’ve been in this game for years– to the point where my in-laws actually seem to respect me as a business owner and not as a mooch staying home while my husband works!
The only problem is that I’m getting really sick of my business. It sounds awful! But I’m just sick of the work and I want to do something else. But after all the years and sacrifice I put into this, I’m also scared to let it go. It’s nice to be “successful” in people’s eyes, and what if my next business isn’t as good? What if I fail?
I wish I could clone myself so that my old business would keep running while I’m building a new one. I need someone to help me figure out how to do this before I go insane (or fire all my clients).”
“I’m an experienced business owner. I’ve been in this game for years– to the point where my in-laws actually seem to respect me as a business owner and not as a mooch staying home while my husband works!
The only problem is that I’m getting really sick of my business. It sounds awful! But I’m just sick of the work and I want to do something else. But after all the years and sacrifice I put into this, I’m also scared to let it go. It’s nice to be “successful” in people’s eyes, and what if my next business isn’t as good? What if I fail?
I wish I could clone myself so that my old business would keep running while I’m building a new one. I need someone to help me figure out how to do this before I go insane (or fire all my clients).”
“I have a viable business model. I think? I haven’t been running my business for very long, only a couple of years. But I’m making some money. And I’m growing. My biggest problem is that I can’t figure out which advice I should take and what order to do things in. It seems like everything has to be done at once, and it’s so paralyzing, trying to improve my marketing and my sales funnel and my website and my list.
I really need someone to just write a plan for me to execute, because my biggest weakness is probably that I get freaked out about whether I’m making the right decision, so I do nothing.”
“I have a viable business model. I think? I haven’t been running my business for very long, only a couple of years. But I’m making some money. And I’m growing. My biggest problem is that I can’t figure out which advice I should take and what order to do things in. It seems like everything has to be done at once, and it’s so paralyzing, trying to improve my marketing and my sales funnel and my website and my list.
I really need someone to just write a plan for me to execute, because my biggest weakness is probably that I get freaked out about whether I’m making the right decision, so I do nothing.”
If this sounds familiar, welcome home.
At Change Catalyst, we take a holistic view of things. The definition of ‘success’ is unique to each business owner. Your business needs to be viable, yes. But it also needs to be personally fulfilling for you to run. And it can’t be allowed to take over your life.
Although superficially ‘living the dream,’ many of us are chronically apprehensive about our business skills and decisions.
We feel stuck a lot. Making meaningful changes in our business feels like wading through a muddy pit of conflicting advice and motivations. And there never seems to be enough time to really figure things out, what with the actual work of running a business.
Change Catalyst specializes in getting rid of that demoralizing ‘stuck’ feeling through 1:1 coaching, group workshops, and detailed resources.
There’s no one-size fits all advice here — everything is totally tailored to the individual bonsai business.
I want to show you that you’re not alone.
Running a business can be isolating. The pressures are intense. The options are staggering. And overwhelm seems imminent far too often.
But while everyone talks about how hard business is, I want you to know it’s not the hardest thing you’ve ever done — that you have the grit, the resourcefulness, and the savvy to build the business of your dreams.
I have some resources to help you get a grip on things and move forward with assurance:
- Check out the Guides. These are collections of the best blog posts on various topics like X, Y, and Z.
- Follow the Guinea Pig Experiment. Each year I take a business owner and publicly scale her business, so that you can follow along and see how it’s done.
- Sign up for the Dispatches, a weekly email of inspiration, commiseration, perspective and advice. You’ll also get access the Library, a collection of members-only resources and worksheets to help you manage your business.