Tag Archives: Business Coach

30
Jan
Fresh Business Solutions Blog

Say Yes To New Adventures

Posted on by Emma Atkin

Say YES to New Adventures

Adventure! Just the word conjures up images of fun, excitement and probably a bit of fear. Adventure means leaving your comfort zone, doing something new, taking a risk.

Success in life always involves taking a risk. One of my favourite sayings that inspires me is:

“Do not fear failure, but be terrified of regret.”

How often do you hear someone say, yeah, I had an opportunity to do that once, but I decided not to do it…….who knows what wonderful experiences that person may have missed out on.

As a business owner, you have already taken your biggest risk – starting your own business!

Now if you want your business to grow and succeed, you will need to take more risks. You might be questioning if it is time to take on a new employee, or move into new premises, or scale your business. These are just a few examples of the risks we are business owners take.

There are never any guarantees with risks, but as Richard Branson says

“If you opt for a safe life, you will never know what it’s like to win.”

Taking risks, and saying yes to adventure, helps you build confidence and develop new skills. Successful risk taking helps you develop a sense of pride and accomplishment. And, if those risks should fail, shift your thinking from seeing this as an absolute, life-destroying disaster and see this simply as feedback, and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow

Here are my 5 tips for taking better risks:

  1. ​Undertake a risk assessment: it doesn’t have to be complicated, a simple list of pros and cons is a great place to start.
  2. Move past the fear of failure, what is the cost of staying as you are now and not trying?
  3. Think about the upside of change – what are the benefits of taking this risk – Bigger and better premises? More profit? More free time with your family?
  4. Find ways to take on incremental risk – often you don’t have to do everything at once, give yourself a timeline to achieve the end goal.
  5. Seek out advice from mentors and other calculates risk takers

You can do this, take a deep breath, and say YES to new adventures – this is YOUR time!

And remember always, Keep smiling!

25
Jan
Fresh Business Solutions Blog, Imposter syndrome, Small business help

Inhale Confidence, Exhale Doubt

Posted on by Emma Atkin

I have one of those week to a page diaries, which has an inspirational saying at the beginning of every week. “Inhale Confidence, Exhale Doubt” was the saying for this week, and it got me to thinking about how much we as business owners can allow doubt to creep into our everyday activities, how we second guess our decisions, and if we allow it, what a negative impact that can have.

Imposter syndrome can be a common feeling among business owners, but it is important to remember that it is a completely normal and common experience. It is the feeling of inadequacy or self-doubt, in spite of external evidence of success. It can manifest itself in many different ways, such as feeling like a fraud, doubting one’s own abilities, or feeling like an imposter in one’s own business.

So here are my top 5 tips on how to overcome these feelings:

  1. Recognize that imposter syndrome is actually a common feeling and that you are not alone in experiencing it. It is important to acknowledge that imposter syndrome is a normal part of the human experience and that it does not reflect your actual abilities or worth as a business owner.
  2. Seek support from other business owners or a mentor. It can be really helpful to talk about your feelings with others who have gone through similar experiences. This can help you feel less alone and more supported in your journey as a business owner.
  3. Set realistic, achievable goals and celebrate those successes! It does not matter how small those victories are, taking the time to acknowledge and celebrate them can help build your confidence and combat imposter syndrome.
  4. Practice self-care and take some time out for you! It might just be meeting up with a friend for coffee, or taking time to play a round of golf or have a yoga session with friends. Remember to focus on your goals and that you are supposed to be having fun, so be kind to yourself and look after YOU.
  5. Remember, no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes from time to time. When mistakes happen, forgive yourself, keep perspective, and view this simply as an opportunity to learn and grow.

By following these tips, you can begin to overcome imposter syndrome and build the confidence and resilience you need to succeed in your business.

Remember always, keep smiling!