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What is your greatest challenge in your business?

As a newbie, we tend to be bogged down with the learning curve and all that comes from setting up your new online business.

Wheather it be marketing, finding your niche, social media or all the other steps it takes to get started.

I remember my first biggest challenge was just getting started.   These were some of the questions I asked myself:

1. How do I get started?
2. What steps do I need to take?
3. Who do I want to be my mentor?
4. Do I need coaching or consulting?
5. Why isn’t my business growing?

Do you have those same questions or concerns?  Newbies are always asking me how to begin so I decided to put together a program in May that needs my attention now.  That’s why I need your help.

If you have challenges in your business, would you please take the time to respond to my survey?  That way, I can help you overcome those challenges and help you take the steps you need to make 2012 your real for RESULTS too.

Here is the link to the survey.  Thanks alot.

So I ask you again, what is your greatest business challenge?  Why not leave a comment below and let us know.  Who knows, you may find your solution.

Cindy

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I have a confession to make.  I am a “What If” person and I am working so hard to change that.  In wanting to make 2012 my year for “RESULTS” in many of the goals I am trying to accomplish, the “What If’s” have to go!

For example, I don’t think I am a great writer so I put off writing articles for a year.  While I have a lot of work to do to perfect my writing skills, I decided not to put if off anymore.  I used to say “What If” people don’t like it or “What if” I get rejected.

Well, here’s a NEWSFLASH!  I WAS rejected when I wrote my first article.  Being new to the site, I made some errors and got an email that I had to “fix” my article.  Well guess what?  I fixed it and it got published.  You know what happened?  My confidence moved up a notch and I wrote 3 more articles that same week.  They are still “pending” for approval but I am hopeful to share them with you very soon.

I realized that my “What if” thinking was keeping me stuck in the past and worrying about the future instead of helping me focus on the present.  This realization was the beginning of my journey for reaching my goals for 2012 and learning to train my brain to think positive.

When you start thinking about the “What If” in your own life, how do you handle it?  Do you put off your goals and accomplishments just to find out that a year or more has gone by and you are still in the very same situation in your life?

I understand those “What if” issues can be very stressful, believe me.  I got laid off 2 jobs in less than a year and I know about “What If.”   That experience really set me back big time for awhile and kept me stuck and depressed.  I was consumed with “What If” and thinking I coulda, woulda, shoulda done something better.   Those two words kept me stuck.

Let’s say you want to quit your job and follow your dreams?  But your “What if” chatter is telling you “what if” I don’t have health insurance OR “what if” I don’t find another job OR what if I run out of money and on, and on….  But, what if you didn’t pursue that new dream and time passed by?  Then, would you say to yourself, “What if” I had done that?

Think about it. Those two words are very powerful and can make or break your decision to move forward and pursue your dreams.

When my children were young, we used to love reading.  One of my most memorable children’s author,  Shel Silverstein, has several poetry books.  Here is one of his poems that I remember reading many years ago and it still stays with me.  Why, because I was a worry wart and stressed about these questions myself.

Remember a “What If” thought takes place in the past or the future, it’s not the present.  So the next time you ask yourself “What If”, try asking yourself “What Is” holding me back from starting in the present and staying focused on today.  Yesterday and tomorrow are gone.  Today begins the rest of your life.

What will you do to turn your “What If” thinking into a positive and present affirmative for today to help you follow the path you want to find?

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Until next time, enjoy your day.

Cindy

When I began getting serious about starting a business, not having the first clue where to begin, I was consumed with fear, making it hard for me to move forward. For years I second guessed myself thinking I wasn’t good enough or only leaders can do this.

But when I got laid off of my job twice, I was put in a position to make some big decisions.  Either I would let fear take over or I would take over fear.   I chose the later.  It wasn’t an easy task and it took a lot of self discipline and personal development.  But doors opened when I said “Just Do It”

I was so driven to overcome my fear that somehow, somewhere deep inside, a voice kept saying “You Can Do This.”   Taking action and making mistakes along the way challenged me to continue to “Just Do It.”

Here are some helpful tips for you that helped me in my journey.

1. Go back to school - I became a 24/7 student soaking up every bit of information online, offline, reading books, going to the library and taking lots of notes.  The local community college offered FREE courses for the unemployed so I took advantage of everything they offered that had to do with business.
2. Set up your Social Media accounts. There are 4 Social Media platforms that I encourage my clients to set up in the beginning.  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube.  These are all essential tools that will help jumpstart your business and best of all, they are free.
3. Go to live events.  It is very important to attend local networking groups as well as traveling to find like minded individuals and leaders who can train you in person.  When you do that an opportunity arises for you to build a new network of friends, business experts and leaders who can help one another.
4. Personal Development is Key.  While formal education is very important, it doesn’t teach you to step out of the box of comfort so learning on your own is essential.  Taking online classes, reading and educating yourself can help fade the fear and fuel your learning curve to be well on your way, making fear a faded memory.

Let me know your thoughts on fear.  Have you been fearful of starting something but are still dreaming of the accomplishment?  Remember these 3 words  ====>  JUST DO IT!

Oh, and don’t forget share your fears below in the Comments section.  Someone just may offer a solution.

Until next blog post,  have a great day.

Cindy

As a babyboomer, who didn’t complete my formal education past 2 years of college,  I continued my adult education through community college and university college courses specific to my interests, avoiding the drudgery of required courses that had nothing to do with my passions or niche.

I guess you could say, I am a life long learner of my own destiny.   What I have learned in my adult life is the importance of personal development and how essential it is for business and personal success.   So I continued to find classes specific to my needs and passions to help move forward in my business. 

Recently, I completed another course called Niche Attraction Group Coaching with Cindy Schulson and Kate Williams.  In this course, I was able to get more insight into coaching and the importance of my Niche.  In this video, I share the layout of the course, what I learned and how Cindy and Kate helped me continue my education and knowledge.