When you think of going out on your own in business, one of the first and most significant mistakes people make is not realising to the extent just how out on your own you really are.
Cliche time: Running a business is hard
Within the company structure, you have all of the departments of the business fulfilled by individuals skilled in those specific areas. In your own business, especially one like coaching or consulting, you’re on your own.
Until you have enough clients to pay someone, you have to do all of the management and all of the tasks yourself. You need to be abreast with the technology you need to run that business as effectively as possible. You need to know how to not only create great products and services but also package them in such a way that people will easily say, ‘yes’.
You need to know how to market and communicate your products and services, build a brand, advertise. If that business is you, you also need to know how to package yourself up in a nice, tidy, easily communicated bow tie that explains succinctly what you do and who you do it for.
You need to have an end-to-end understanding of your finances and cashflow.
You need to know how to sell yourself. And then, once you’ve got a new client, you need to serve them, retain them and try not to get too entwined in their personal life that it hurts like a motherfucker when the extraction is forced.
On top of all of that, you need to know a great deal about your industry. You need to keep yourself knowledgeable about the trends and new innovations. You need to read a lot.
You do not get to spend your time doing what you love. You need to do all this other shit 90% of the time.
Reality check
I cannot begin to tell you how hard it’s been to find a way to market myself. I have gone through several iterations in the last three and a half years since I decided to become a coach full time. I’m now a ‘Business Leadership Coach’ but what does that even mean?
This is my second business but I feel like my first was pure luck and good connections. I ran a virtual administration and project management service. I was very good at what I did so I just kept getting referrals. I didn’t need to market or sell myself. What I did, sold itself. I cannot say the same for becoming a coach.
So, when I confess that I don’t know shit about running a business. That’s not completely true. I do know an awful lot. And here’s where the ‘but’ comes in… I’m not good at running my own business.
The reason I’ve had several iterations of my business title is that I cannot seem to get the chemistry right to explain succinctly what it is I do.
I am in business, I know a lot about being in business. I know the wins and the challenges business owners experience. I am a leader. I have lead teams. I know a lot about what it takes to be a leader. But these words do not accurately explain what I do.
I am a coach.
That’s it. Just a coach.
Not, just a coach.
I can take you from point zero of cluelessness and help you make the plan to achieve whatever you dream of. Literally, whatever you dream of, I can help you create it. You’ll do the work. You’ll work bloody hard, but you won’t do it alone. If you’re being realistic, I will get you there.
I can see your confusion and bring you clarity. I can see that you’re in a tunnel, not an empty void.
I can help you heal lifelong traumas and abuses. Shit that you’ve buried deep inside. I can get that out and get rid of it permanently in less time than it takes to boil the kettle. Okay. That’s bullshit. Let’s go with less than 10 sessions. But really, it’s more like five.
I can help you hear the language you use and improve your communication so you can talk to anyone in any situation.
I can see your business from both an outside-in and inside-out perspective.
I can teach you how to work on your business while you’re in your business.
I can educate you on the science of the mind.
I can get rid of depression and anxiety.
I can help you make decisions. Hard decisions. Decisions you have been avoiding.
I can help you resolve conflict in your relationships. Any relationships. I can help you divorce amicably or strengthen your family bonds.
I can help you overcome fears and phobias.
I can help you know yourself better than you’ve ever known yourself before.
I can help you to learn and live the benefits of your emotional intelligence.
I can hypnotise you. Yes. I could probably make you cluck like a chicken but I won’t because there are enough people making a joke of the awesome powers of hypnotherapy.
I can help you create mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
I can make you laugh. Like, laugh-with-a-little-bit-of-pee laugh because I am somehow both crass and classy at the same time.
I will hear, see and sense you. I will challenge you out of your comfort zone because that is where you grow and that is what you want to do. I will hold you in a safe space of love and respect while I call you on your BS. You’ll ask for more because the growth you experience from the changes will be liberating. You will be on your way to the person you have always known you could be.
I solve problems.
Really complex, hard problems. The kind of problems where there seems to be no hope.
The kind of problems that Bill Gates found when he went to solve the world’s toilet problem. Please don’t think that I’m being arrogant or comparing myself to the Great Gates himself. I just mean I am very good at seeing all points-of-view. I see everyone. I see who they are. Their emotional decision-making processing. I can see the challenge itself through the eyes of each team member. I can see it from the inside and outside, upside and downside. I can turn a problem in on itself and expose its fundamental flaws and opportunities. I ask questions that have never been asked.
I solve problems. It’s how my brain works.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a problem with who you are, or what you’re doing, or a problem with what you’re working on. It’s a challenge for me to solve. And I thrive on that shit. I mean, I thrive on it. In a way that can only be expressed as kind of scary and fascinating and energising and daunting and really, really grateful it’s not you.
Now, can you see my dilemma?
How the fuck do I package all of that up in a nice tidy bow and label it for the world to buy?
All I want to do is what I’m good at doing. I don’t want to ‘run’ a business. I just want to use my brain to solve problems.
Is there an organisation on this great, big, beautiful planet that just solves problems? I want to work for you.
Are you a company that has problems? I can help you solve them.
Are you someone with problems? Yep. You guessed it, I’m your gal.
I will solve your problems.
Now, to solve the problem with my marketing {groan}…
Your coach,
P.s. Am I bit too sweary for your liking? Chances are you haven’t met me in person. This was dialled-down. I’m not apologising for it. Swearing is for emphasis, not for insults. It’s poetic, it’s funny and it’s who I really am. But, I do respect your choices, just unsubscribe. I’m all good with only having people who want to learn from me sticking around. Peace.
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