Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing

Enough is Enough

Cristina Favreau, The Savvy Entrepreneur

Are you an entrepreneur who feels like you have to go through just one more marketing program, read just one more business management book or attend just one more sales teleclass before you can be a successful business person? If so, you are among good company.

I felt the same way, even long after starting my own business I didn’t think I knew enough about running a business. Hundreds of courses, programs and books target people like us, making us feel like there’s always “just one more” thing to learn before experiencing success. The problem was that I hadn’t determined for myself when enough was enough, so I was easily swayed by what the self-proclaimed experts were saying.

That is, until I said “Enough!”

The first thing I had to do was to turnoff the noise from the experts, gurus, masters and “6-figure” income generators It felt like they were preaching independence (‘You can do it on your own’) while trying to sell me something (‘If you follow my foolproof system/perfect solution/etc…you’ll finally have everything you need’). I was so sick of the crafty sales copy and smooth-talking pitches that I decided to stop listening, unsubscribing from their newsletters and blog feeds.

Once the clatter stopped, I was better able to hear what was inside me. I started a journal about my business, my clients, my experiences and my thoughts on solutions. After a few days of writing, I read over my notes with a highlighter and I was amazed at how much I knew. That’s when I realized that I was a source of valuable information and that I could contribute positively without looking for guidance elsewhere.

If you’re feeling overloaded with information the collective “they” are saying you “should” be doing,( to “take your business to the next level” and “achieve all your wildest dreams in only 90 days,”) just turn them off. Create peace and space to draw out what has been inside you all along. You’ll realize that you have skills, knowledge and experience that cannot simply be taught in a book. You’ll start gaining the confidence you need to promote your unique strengths and find the specific niche only you can fill. (“It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.” – Dizzy Dean).

You already have everything you need to succeed. The challenge is to define what your strengths are without letting anyone else say what they “should” be or let others tell you what is acceptable. Instead of reading yet another “how-to” book and continually trying to find out what’s missing, read strengths-based books to help identify, develop and communicate what comes naturally to you and build on that (like “Go Find Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham; “StrengthsFinder 2.0” by Tom Rath).

What you discover will empower you, and give you the confidence you need to achieve success in your own way.

In closing, finding the courage to say “Enough!” will free up your time and energy to devote to the success-oriented activities as well as to invest in your overall well-being. Drawing the line and playing the entrepreneur game on your terms will give you more satisfaction in life and make you more productive. You’ll feel lighter, less stressed and counter feelings of inadequacy. What more could an entrepreneur ask for?

Cristina Favreau specializes in helping professionals in the service industry who love what they do, but struggle with running & marketing their business. She’ll help you identify where you’re stuck in the marketing cycle & come up with an action plan to gain immediate momentum. Cristina’s clients find her no-nonsense, plain language approach refreshing. Visit her blog, The Savvy Entrepreneur.

           

Posted on Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 at 10:57 am and is filed under Leadership, Small Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.