What makes a confident business owner?

04 Feb What makes a confident business owner?

Posted at 11:18h in Business Growth by

I’ve realised that there’s something I’ve not being talking about.

It’s not been deliberate – sometimes I don’t see what’s right under my nose!

But I’ve been going back through the testimonials and feedback from the business owners who’ve been through my 12 week Business Growth Masterplan programme, and I’ve realised that, aside from the obvious results you’d expect me to shout about (increased profits, less time in their business, more clarity etc.), there’s been something else.

CONFIDENCE

Well, I’m going to label it as ‘confidence’, even through it’s sometimes described in other words: more comfortable, less fearful, more energy, more self belief.

It wasn’t something that they came looking for – I guess you’d call it a ‘by-product’ – but this confidence is a key part of their accelerated success.

Now you may or may not be thinking that you need to increase your confidence as a business owner, but I challenge you to read through the other 4 C’s below, as I’ve attempted to break down and define how a confident business owner behaves:

1. COMMITTING
One of my favourite quotes (attributed to Goethe) is:

“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”

A bit wordy I know, but it makes the point so well about the power of fully committing instead of ‘half-arsing’ and faffing about.

How fully have you committed to your business? To your goals? To your clients? To your products & services?

2. COMMUNICATING
You know of course that communicating is a 2 way process i.e. listening and talking.

Some of the most confident business owners I know excel in their listening, yet most people seem to think confidence is about talking well.

I disagree, and say that being prepared to listen fully before talking, is a sign of confidence.

For example, in a sales conversation the person who asks the questions and listens to the answers, is going to be more effective (and therefore more confident), than the person who simply starts talking about what they are selling and how great it is.

I’m sure you’ve been on the receiving end of being talked at and sold to? At best it’s coming from someone who is fearful of selling, and doesn’t know any other way to do it, and at worst it’s coming from arrogance.

3. COLLABORATING
Do you get distracted by what your competitors are doing? Are you fearful when a new competitor starts, that they’re going to take away your work?

How about instead feeling confident that there is plenty of work to go around, and confident in your own abilities to run your business?

Instead of worrying about what others are doing, and feeling a need to compete with them, how can you collaborate with them?

Who are the people around you right now that you could start collaborating with?

Maybe businesses who offer something complementary to yours? Maybe even businesses who appear to be offering the same as yours?

Don’t be afraid of collaboration.

4. CHALLENGING
Are you fearful of speaking out or disagreeing about something?

Do you see ways things could be improved but don’t say anything?

How do you feel about being challenged yourself?

What are you afraid of?

By challenging others, and, more importantly, challenging yourself, is how you make improvements and start to step into your full confidence as a business owner.

So, your own challenge for this week is to ask yourself how well are you practising these 4 C’s in your business right now?

If you want some more challenging, then book in a half hour strategy call with me, and see how I can challenge you to fully embrace your confidence as a business owner, and see the results start to happen in your business.

You can check availability, and book your call in here.

What are you waiting for?

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Alison Bradford

Alison Bradford is a business coach who works with smart, ambitious business owners to get clarity about how they can grow their business and increase profit. Sign up here to learn 6 easy ways you can boost profit in your business today.
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