One of the surprising things about coaching female entrepreneurs is how many women get in my DMs who are just starting a business or thinking about starting a business. I love that they reach out and want to share!
Over the last handful of months, I’ve been doing some thinking about the three things I think you need to do to make a business work for you and your family. Starting your own business is a big step, and I want you to be the most successful entrepreneur you can be. These tips are not just for those thinking about starting a business; I think they can help everyone.
Tip 1: Begin with the End in Mind
If I coach you, there is a 100% chance you are going to hear this quote come out of my lips. It is one of my favorite business axioms of all time.
Both from a time standpoint, as well as goals and objectives, it is incredibly important to spend time writing down (clearly spelling out) where you want your business to end up. How many hours a week are you going to work? When are you going to work? Like exactly what hours? It’s going to burn you out if you subscribe to the idea of working inside the nooks and crannies of your day. That is a recipe for disaster because you feel like you are working all. The. Time.
Figure out when you’re going to work during the week and when you aren’t. What’s your minimum? What’s your maximum? Don’t write down that you can work 30 hours if you can’t.
Typically, I tell people, aside from your faith and family life, you need to give your business your highest energy of the day. So plan on working during your high-energy level hours if you can.
Where do you want your business to end up? What do you want to sell? How much? To how many people? Where are you going to show up online? How often are you going to show up? Who are you serving? Think about where you want your business to be one year from now as well as three years from now. Start with the end picture or the end goal and work your way backward. It’s called reverse engineering and it works!
Tip 2: Treat It Like an Actual Business, Not a Hobby
This is where a lot of women go wrong. Perhaps because we are building a business from home but more often than not, I see a lot of mixed messages with female-run businesses. Do you want this to be a hobby or a big girl business?
This means you need to separate business and personal finances. This means you need to be setting aside money for taxes every single time money comes in. This means you need to know the important numbers in your business.
It’s unreal to me how few women can tell me even ONE important number in her business. (As a side note, I have a “Think Like a CEO” strategy course about this exact thing! It is called “Think Like a CEO: KPI Strategy Guide.”)
It is shocking to me how few women know any important numbers in their business. It’s a bit like getting in the car and hoping to end up in Springfield, Illinois with no compass and no map. You aren’t ever going to get where you want to go if you don’t know where you are right now—and that means you MUST know how the numbers are tracking.
Additionally, you need to treat your time appropriately. Psalm 90:12 says that our days are limited so we should treat them with reverence. There are quite a few women who can’t grow their business because they wake up and just fly by the seat of their pants every day. Do you think a CEO of a Fortune 100 company does that? No. They have a plan and they execute it.
If we want our businesses to be taken seriously, we need to take them seriously and treat them seriously.
Tip 3: Have an All Grit, No Quit Attitude
If you hang out in my circle long enough, you’ll hear me use the word grit. Grit is actually a core value of Walk Like Warriors. It is also a core value of how I have raised my children. Every year that goes by, I feel like Americans are getting more and more soft. I cannot believe how many moms let their kids stay home from school for reasons that are definitely NOT worthy of staying home from school for. How are they going to survive in the workforce? They are not going to be paid to take mental health days every time things get hard. This softness is not serving us well.
Too many women quit when it gets hard. When they get embarrassed. When they have an open house, seminar, launch, or webinar and no one shows up. They fall to pieces and never put themselves back together again.
One of the things I love to do is read books or listen to podcasts from 9-figure earners. I have yet to hear a story of even one of them who did not have epic failures before they made it big. The only difference between them and you is that they never quit. They declared bankruptcy. They were foreclosed on. They lost six businesses before the seventh was wildly successful.
If you want to really, truly make your business work, you’re going to need truckloads of grit. Sometimes your business (and your emotions) are going to feel fine. Everything will be good, the growth moving in a lovely “up-and-to-the-right” trajectory. But sometimes it’s going to hurt. And hurt really bad. And there just aren’t enough people talking about how hard this is, are there?
You Need to Embrace the Journey
So I want to ask you…
Are you willing to lean into this calling you have from God and really and truly work your small business even when it hurts? To keep pushing forward as an entrepreneur even when it’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done? If you are willing to do that, you will be successful.
So there you have it, the three tips I would give you if you are just starting a business of your own: Begin with the end in mind. Treat it like a real, actual business and take it seriously. And have an all grit, no quit attitude.
You’re going to do big things. And I cannot wait to cheer you on.
Are you a small business owner overwhelmed by stress and disorganization, craving practical tools and coaching to help your business thrive? Check out The Success Squad (check it out here)!
Disclaimer: While Kelly is a certified business coach this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as financial advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace legal or financial advice. Always check with your own legal or financial team before trying or implementing any information read here. As an Amazon Associate Kelly also earns from qualifying purchases.
