Identify What Is Stopping Your Business Progress

What I know is this, it’s often hard to shift to an entrepreneurial mindset, learn effective marketing strategies and try to balance life as a new business owner nevermind like in my case as a MomSoloEntrepreneur.

Let me ask you, does this sound vaguely familiar? 

“Everything would be so much easier if I could just focus on one thing only and that’s to grow my business!” Or how about this, “Do I really have what it takes to make a living doing what I love? I’ve never done this, what if I don’t make it?” Or what about, “I’m pretty sure I can do this but I feel like I’m all over the place with ideas and I don’t know where to start!”

Growing a business is challenging but when there are physical barriers or signs of strong self-doubt it’s that much more difficult.  But let me offer one key to building a sustainable business which helps you keep taking steps forward vs. side to side and all over the place and that’s to address your barriers and obstacles as they show up.

Identify anything that is stopping your progress

If you can’t eliminate the obstacles that tend to block your progress then they are going to continue to appear until you do. It’s like you can’t expect your car to start if your battery is dead. It’s the same with your business, if your biggest struggle is finding enough time in your day to work on your business then you need to look at how you can make the necessary adjustments to fit the business building activities in. Let me be very clear with you on this, business building isn’t optional it’s a mandatory part of a sustainable business.

So how do you fit business building activities like networking, blogging, writing a newsletter and creating programs into your routine if you can’t seem to move forward to make them happen? The secret is in your schedule, systems and mindset.

Here are a few tips to handle some barriers:

Schedule

Most of my clients are limited on how much time they actually have each day to work on their business but I know exactly how to work around another job and kids schedules. Often times it comes down to how you’re spending your time and what you’re spending it on. One of my clients was upset because she wasn’t making money in her business but when we looked at her schedule a great deal of her time was spent on volunteering and activities that weren’t generating money or contributing to it.

Quick Tip: Start batching your errands, your work and your business time. Have set time on your calendar weekly for your business building activities and think very carefully about what you’re volunteering for and doing that isn’t serving you, your family or your business.

Systems

It’s very common to not follow routines but the very thing we need most is to follow a plan to progress. Systems can help you move forward in your business and help organize your personal life. Do you have a system for marketing your business? Do you have one for when you pay your bills? Do you have a system for cleaning your house?

Quick Tip: Use checklists. I recently had a preview call for a teleclass. I didn’t just hop on the phone that night and expect everyone to be there I followed a system and used a checklist to make sure I covered all of my bases to give myself the best chance for success. Using systems and checklists help you organize every area of your life.

Mindset

How often have you let doubt get in the way of your progress? You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t. But having the right mindset is key to your long term progress.

Tip: There have been dozens of times that I’ve thought I’m not good enough, different enough or interesting enough and in those times I’ve wanted to give up. But when I begin to feel that way I recognize it and spend the time to sort out where it’s coming from and how I can move past it. So remember that when doubt creeps in that the best way to handle it is to acknowledge it and then take action so you move through it.

In the comments below I’d love to hear:

1. What seems to be stopping you from moving forward in your business growth?
2. What type of systems or checklists would help you with your marketing efforts?