Starting your own business is such an adventure. It's not as hard as you think and results in such amazing freedom; a whole new kind of life. I know firsthand how daunting it can be, to consider the transition from employee to business owner, but sometimes the unknown is where the best possibilities and opportunities are! 

Starting your own business is 80% mindset and 20% strategy. Yes, I said that. As a new business owner you really want to focus first on your mindset, and building alignment between what you want, and then believing that you are capable of achieving it. Your belief in yourself is one of the most significant factors in how successful your business will be, and how much you will enjoy it! What you focus on becomes magnified, so focus on your growth and your mindset, and let’s see how you transform into a capable business owner!

A common theme I see amongst my clients is the thought, “what if I fail?” This thought relates to a fear-based mindset. You’ve heard me talk about it before and I’ll say it again: nothing good comes when you work from a palace of fear. When you focus on fear in your business then all you will see is failure, and you will find failure! 

I always suggest a reframe to a place of curiosity: what if it all works out? Truly, stop and let yourself think about that for a minute. What if it did work out? How would you feel, running a business you love? Think of the positives, and then focus on those; let those positive possibilities grow.

Another example I see is clients beating themselves up when they make a mistake on their business journey. What does beating yourself up actually do? Literally nothing. Mistakes are lessons, appreciate the lesson, realise it's ok, and move on with that new knowledge!

Building your business

When you want to start a business the first thing you need to do is work on your mindset. Like any muscle, we want to build and strengthen your mind so you automatically switch to positive meanings in situations, rather than “bad.” 

I also recommend that my clients keep working their day job while they start building their business. This takes care of your financial needs, so you don’t feel stressed and pressured and you’re creating your business from abundance rather than lack.

Once you have your mindset in a good place and you truly believe that you can have your own business, then we get to dive into the tangible action steps!

1. Build a mission statement for your business. What is your reason? What are your values? Having a strong mission statement and why is a solid foundation on which you can then build your business.

2. Nailing your niche is the next step, and it’s such an important one! Nailing your niche will help you identify and then communicate to your ideal client, to help attract them to your services. If you don’t know who your business is talking to, how do you expect responses? Nailing your niche is key to success! 

3. The next step is your branding and your marketing; your story in a way. Your branding needs to show who your business is, what you do, and how you are the best person to help them. Create a relatable story that attracts your niche audience.

4. Selling is an art, and also something many clients need some mindset help with. You absolutely want to make sure you understand the principles around how to sell, and how to respect prospective clients without being pushy. Mindset work here can make sales easy, instead of difficult. 

If you’re thinking about starting a business but don’t feel confident, let’s chat!

Amie Duignan is a Career Coach, Head-hunter, In-House Recruiter and Founder at A.D Connects.

This information is general in nature and has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness for the information to your own circumstances and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.