4 Keys for a Solid Online Business
Mindset Clarity IS Solopreneur Success!
Why It Matters!
Mindset affects everything!
And, one’s individual mindset actually establishes the foundation for everything we undertake or engage with…
It affects:
Our relationships, from personal & family to community & business
Our goals — short-term, long-term & everything in between
Our underlying belief system — this is a huge one, largely because it is transparent
Our outlook on life…from daily motivation to our own personal WHY
It may not seem particularly relevant for your business (or cause) to examine your beliefs or world view, but these underlying foundation elements of mind do have a major impact on how your business or cause moves along…
However you define "success" depends on what you believe you are capable of achieving, which is in turn directly related to your own beliefs about yourself as well as your world view [link to my Values post]...
How you see yourself handling “obstacles” or challenges
What (often transparent) “stories” we keep perpetuating about ourselves… whether they are grounded in "reality" or steeped in negative self-talk...
Anyway, I’m sure you get the idea!
Common “Symptoms” of Mindset Challenges
As I've written about here, apparent procrastination might be related to some other less obvious causes, and it can be paralyzing if you keep putting off something that is extremely important to you
Similarly, if you continuously avoid “obstacles” or making important decisions, your business or cause is going nowhere
If you often engage in “busywork” or go down the social media rabbit hole instead of taking actions you know are important… you’ll typically end the day feeling downright terrible about yourself, and not understanding why
Engage in negative self-talk
Continue to reinforce limiting stories about what you can and can’t accomplish
It’s complicated!…and as I have written elsewhere, you are not alone! We are humans and we ALL struggle with many of the same challenges!
Just look at all the “productivity” & “focus” courses and coaches out there in 2022! Pandemic-related “doing-everything-remotely-on-Zoom” has not helped either!
But these human challenges long preceded any global health crises!
For personal & business growth, here are the “4 keys” that make the most difference (based on my own experience and challenges).
I offer the following strategies, particularly relevant for my main focus — solopreneurs and productivity — and that of my readers: how one’s individual Mindset can often sabotage entrepreneurs and solopreneurs…and most importantly...
How to make Mindset your best friend and biggest ally!
Own Everything!
The Problem:
Novice solopreneurs take (what they think is) the "quick" path to setting up shop: using their social platforms instead of creating a real business hub...
Social platforms have their own agendas -- each one of them different and serving the PLATFORM, not your business!
There are numerous horror stories about solopreneurs losing everything the took years to build up in client & customer interaction -- only to be axed suddenly and without warning -- by their social platform(s). FB is notorious for this, but they all do it... A 'simple' change to their search algorithm or "Terms of Service" is all it takes to undermine everything you've worked hard to establish.
Social platform agendas are driven by ad revenue. Consequently, the overarching goal is to keep you and your "followers" on their platform...exclusively. They don't get eyeballs on their ads if you or your readers are redirected to individual websites!
The Solution:
This is ridiculously easy!
Make your website your business hub!
This ticks all the boxes in one single approach! You own your website platform, your domain name, your subscriber & client list, your content...everything!
Now...I know what you may be thinking:
I have to create a website? That's expensive & I don't know anything about web design or coding!
I have you covered! See the next key...
Learn WordPress
The Problem:
You want to DIY your own website because you have limited resources, but you don't want to spend months trying to figure this out on your own. You may have taken the typical solopreneur route and searched for "WordPress Tutorials" only to be disappointed at the lack of true 'beginner' solutions...
Maybe you've looked at WordPress...or even have it installed someplace but you're confused about where to start, or how all the parts of WordPress fit together...
I hear you! I've been down that road too many times!
The Solution:
Follow the tutorials on my website! There's an entire section devoted to Learning WordPress!
As a first step, I recommend this article which discusses the most common beginner confusion with WordPress.
Download my WP Road Map to see graphically exactly how to start, and each step in the learning process!
Cultivate a Success-Focused Mindset
The Problem:
We humans are definitely complex and sometimes truly vexing! We have dreams & goals, yet -- more often than not -- we create all sorts of "stories" around those goals that only serve to complicate reaching them!
Mindset cannot be ignored, nor should the importance of having the proper Mindset be minimized!
As a solopreneur today, it's more important than ever to "know yourself!" Part of this is understanding both why your dreams and goals are important to you and also what stories you might be telling yourself about how easy or difficult they will be for YOU to achieve!
No one can define what success is for another person, but there are tell-tale signals that we can learn to discover about ourselves and if we sometimes get in our own way...
Do you often procrastinate? Do you often second-guess yourself, or talk yourself out of trying something? What kind of self-talk goes on in your mind?
Solopreneurs are ambitious and we are often perfectionists... (speaking from my own personal experience!) That perfectionism can masquerade as "imposter syndrome" or "not good enough" and if you are not aware of the "root cause" it can stop you from even starting on your big idea!
The Solution:
Knowing yourself and understanding just what motivates you to keep moving forward is a major strategy. Understanding the successful ways that others have used is also a key to overcoming these challenges.
Mindset is a dedicated area on my website because this is an area that is often ignored in discussions about creating a successful business. Be sure you don't overlook this important step. Be the best YOU in spite of the inevitable challenges that you will face!
Treat Your Business Like ... a Business
The Problem:
Many new solopreneurs initially approach their online business too tentatively or without a true "business mindset."
Some of this likely comes from venturing into unknown territory & simply not knowing where to start or being overwhelmed about everything they realize they need to learn!
This is especially true of "creatives" such as artists, craftspeople, photographers, and entertainers. However, it can be just as difficult for those who have spend careers in dedicated professions like scientists...
Not everyone can speak "spreadsheets" or understand a balance sheet, or even understand how to price their own products or services...
There's a LOT to being a solopreneur and realizing you now are responsible for "everything" can be terribly intimidating...
The Solution:
The best approach here is to take honest stock of your own personal skills.
What are you good at? What do you LOVE to do? If you are a creative, this is most likely your own special skills!
But, you will need to learn those skills you don't currently know, or don't know well. So it's really about skill-building, and learning what skills are essential to overall business success, regardless of the industry or niche.
Most commonly, these include communication skills, marketing, basic accounting, and technical knowledge.
Not every one of these skills need to be "mastered," since many of them are very easy to "hire out." However, to succeed in business, you still need to have a basic grasp of the fundamentals of these different areas.
It's also important to understand "what moves the needle" in your business. Not all of the skill-building you could be doing will have the same impact on your business. Knowing these differences will help you determine at any given time what to invest in learning or prioritizing, as well as what is better left to outsourcing.
Marketing & SEO explores some of the more important skill-building areas that will effectively have high impact on your business.
Next Steps…
It’s up to YOU now!
These 4 Keys have helped…
guide me when I came to a crossroads and had to make a big decision.
helped me to stay focused on my goals.
Most importantly, they’ve helped me to define and redefine my WHY over the years…
But your own personal action is what moves the needle now!
I encourage you to take action:
Dig into the resources I’ve linked to in this Guide
Do your own introspection and define what “success” means to you
Write your own Manifesto
