Starting a business can be scary. So many external and internal factors can affect your new venture.
Whilst there are external factors which are out of your control, you are able to control your internal factors, and you can be proactive about working through negative thoughts and self-sabotage.
Newbie vs. Expert
I come across many first-time business owners who say,
“I’m new. I’ve never done this before.”
These are people who are in their 40s or 50s and who have been working in their expertise for 20, 30 or even sometimes more than 40 years!
So, although I certainly empathize with how they feel, my response is always to point out that while they may be newbies in business, they are experts in their field.
I understand how they’ve arrived at this conclusion. They’ve taken being new in the world of business ownership and morphed it into a message that they’ve never used their expertise before. This belief limits not just themselves, but their businesses as well. They don’t charge clients for the true worth of their service, and often give away their services for free.
Tall Poppy Syndrome
This sad reality of experts not owning their expertise is made even worse by other people who seem to encourage this limitation.
In Australia, we call this Tall Poppy Syndrome. This refers to a tendency to cut down people who say they’re good at something or who own their expertise. So the cycle of negativity never ends.
Break The Negative Cycle
Let’s face it, we all have bouts of self-doubt and pity parties. That’s just part of the human psyche. What matters most is what you can do to get out of the negativity cycle.
Here are my tips for that:
- You will have a learning curve with the business side of things – embrace it! You can get help with all the nitty-gritty tasks that you’re unsure of.
- Remind yourself, though, that even though you’re new to business, you’re not new to your expertise. You will make mistakes running your business (take it from me, you will never stop making stuff-ups), but you are already an expert at the service you provide. At the end of the day, your accreditation will be the success and testimonials you’ll get from your clients.
- Surround yourself with the right people. These are family, friends, and colleagues who believe in you, support what you do, and will keep reminding you that you’re awesome.
- When you have a pity party, remember this: If you stop delivering your service because you think you’re not good enough, you will be robbing other people of the opportunity to get what they need and want from you.
- Own your expertise. If you want to be reminded of what it is you’re good at, ask your support group what they think is your best asset. Ask people what you did for them that helped them in a unique way. Then, you’ll be reminded of the reason why you started your business in the first place.
So remember that even though you may be a newbie in business, you are still an expert in your field.
You have a unique expertise and it’s time for you to share it with the world in a bigger way and create a bigger ripple of impact.
Has this post helped you gain a new perspective? If so, please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
