How to take Your Business Seriously

It started off as a hobby and then came decisions and responsibilities. Like many new solo entrepreneurs my desire to grow my hobby was strong but I didn’t have to clue what to do first.  Instead of approaching it as if I was going to take a chance on my success I approached it like a hobby.  A few clients here, a blog post there, an occasional newsletter but nothing too serious, that is until a small voice inside was started screaming out and saying “This whole business thing could actually work”.

For the first year my business was a hobby and for many start up solopreneurs that’s exactly what happens.  But during the process the tough decisions like what to name your business, how to create a business plan, which niche to choose, whether to be incorporated, should you rent an office or work from home, how to use SEO to get found on the internet, what to pay for and who to pay to help you learn what you need to in order to grow your business all come into play.

It’s easy to make decisions on the fly because then you don’t really have to commit to whether or not the business is really worth it.  You just take baby steps and play it safe. You don’t invest in your development or that of your business and you don’t make appropriate financial decisions that are in fact guarantees to your success, but…. there comes a time that baby steps aren’t big enough and you need to start taking long strides if you want to take yourself and business seriously.  What if you decided to stop making decisions on the fly?  What if you started treating your business more like a Fortune 500 company than a hobby?  How would it all look to you?  What would your business look like if you started making real and conscious decisions?  Having been one who was afraid to do it I can tell you that once you commit to making your business succeed you are well on your way to it becoming a reality.

Everything shifted for me once I started taking my business seriously.  Once I started buying real office equipment, hired a mentor, attended more trainings, bought software to better manage my business finances and invoices.  It shifted because I stepped into the role of an Employed Solo Entrepreneur who was confident I could make a future out of my hobby.

Have you been afraid to commit to your success?  What stops you from playing a bigger game?  Are there any shifts  you need to make (mindset or otherwise) to fully commit to growing your business?  Feel free to let me know in the comments below.