As you’re growing your business, your own personal level of confidence and passion comes into play on a number of levels. When you’re confident in your business and you’re working on a project you love, your clients can tell. In fact, they feed from your positive energy and learn to trust you as a resource. That’s why choosing the right path and taking the right steps along the way can tremendously improve your business – and your bottom line.
Here’s how.
Match your business to your personality. Passion is a broad, often abstract concept, but personality is a bit easier to define. Both are important considerations as you’re deciding on a business model. You might be passionate about writing, but if your personality craves social interaction, then sitting alone at your computer for hours probably won’t bring you happiness. You might decide to join forces with other creative professionals and offer a full slate of marketing and creative services, or you could incorporate teaching and speaking into your business model. On the other hand, if you dread being in the spotlight, then an online business might be a perfect fit for your personality.
Build your skill set. Many career coaches will advise you to “follow your passion,” but you also need a strategy for monetizing it. If your beloved hobby isn’t profitable, then think about related interests or search for something else that ignites that feeling of passion. If you’re passionate about an area where you already have in-depth knowledge and a money-making idea, then you’re in great shape already! If not, then buckle down and start building your expertise. Regardless of what your business does, many business-owners benefit from taking classes in negotiation and public speaking. You never know when you might have the chance to appear on camera or on a panel, and you’ll want to be ready!
Offer solutions. Meeting the needs of your customers is a huge confidence booster! When you satisfy someone else and solve their problems, you feel better about yourself, too. Think about what products, services, or other ideas will make your customer’s lives easier and better. What problems do they face? What frustrates them or prevents them from achieving their full potential? How you can alleviate those issues? This is a great way to capitalize on your passion and make money in the process.
Do it better than the competition. Knowing you are the best at what you do serves the needs of your clients and gives you a competitive edge. You don’t need to be the most innovative or famous if you know that your company can deliver its products or services better than any of its competitors. Friendly, prompt customer service goes a long way in edging out the competition, because so few companies make it a priority.
Entrepreneurial confidence comes from many sources. Remember, you are “designing your business to create an extraordinary life,” so let no part of you suffer to succeed, and success will surely be yours!
© 2009 Ali International, LLC
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