I gave a presentation yesterday to a group of solo business owners.

One thing they all had in common was that their business was their service.  There were a couple life coaches, a sales coach, massage therapist, nutritionist and more. These are all people who are their product.

The real challenge is that when you are your product you tend to over-identify with your service and take everything very personally. It is hard not to really, but it brings up a lot of self-doubt and fears. Much of that can get centered on money.

People say they want more money. They have sleepless nights worrying about money and how to pay for everything, they  feel stressed about cash-flow and on and on. However, they drop the ball when it comes to charging for their service.

They feel afraid that no one will think their service is valuable, or they don’t believe people will pay over a certain amount for it.  They look at what other businesses are charging and decide to make their price no higher.

For one thing, if people don’t think your service is valuable why would they want it at all, for any price?  People don’t make decisions based on price. They choose value every time. We all know that cheap does not mean better.

Lastly, why would you give  your competitors the power to set your prices? Just because they charge X amount doesn’t mean it fits with your business plan.

So I tell people, Be Willing to Receive Large Amounts of Money. This requires you to re-align your self-esteem, let go of your fears, own your expertise and develop a business plan that is based on your business goals. Are you ready to do this?

It requires a combination of following a clear process and strategy as well as facing your own inner issues. What holds you back from doing this? I would love to hear from you.

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Most entrepreneurs are able to come up with goals. You want to earn this much money, have x number of new clients or be able to sell a certain number of books or other products.

Coming up with those numbers can be a challenge, especially if you are used to just squeaking by, but  if pushed, I imagine you could write down some numbers and come up with goals.

The really hard part is to figure out what it is that keeps you from reaching those goals. You might feel like you are working all the time, going to networking groups, putting out marketing materials and still nada!

It can be frustrating and make you question your competency and ability. It can bring up feelings of shame and failure. When this happens it is important to dig deeper and find out what it is inside you that is really holding you back.

Most likely you will discover some things about yourself that will make you swallow hard. The real issues under the surface have to do with your beliefs and attitudes.

I used to secretly feel I was not good enough, not smart enough and therefore, a fraud. I worried that people would discover my secrets and they would look down on me. How do you think those kinds of beliefs would affect my business and my goals?

I had to dig right down to the roots of those beliefs and make peace with them before my business would grow past a certain point.  Once I did that it all shifted like magic.  I realized the truth about myself, rather than operating from negative self-doubts. The old saying, “the truth will set you free,” really works.

So, what holds you back? What  limiting attitudes  are hanging out right under the surface? Until you know this, you can attend hundreds of network events, write elevator speeches, web copy and more and still nothing will change.

Even the most successful people still are aware of being held back in some way. This is not something you do once and are done. Part of being an entrepreneur is the willingness to constantly look deeper at yourself and your fears.

It is about stepping into new and bigger boots. It might feel uncomfortable at first but those boots will help you grow your business and help you to become the leader you want to be.

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Owning a brick and mortar serviced based business has it’s own set of challenges! Not only are you starting your own venture from the foundation up, but it’s based on your special service, your skill and your passion.

If you were starting a retail enterprise you would likely be selling products that you would buy wholesale. You aren’t attached. If they don’t sell well you would dump them and bring in something else.

When it’s your own service you are selling, you are likely attached to it and if people aren’t buying you get discouraged, frustrated and start giving it away rather than not do it. Or you struggle with pricing.

If you were selling a widget that you bought at a certain wholesale price, there is a formula to figure out a retail mark-up. When it’s your own service, it is easy to fall into the trap of selling an hour of time, rather than seeing your service as a product with hidden costs as well.

Self-doubt and low-self esteem will help you to frame of image of yourself and your business that is small and poor.

From that place of struggle, people will often contact me for help with marketing. I wish it was that simple.  Marketing itself is just a part of the  problem.

The bigger problem is self-concept and  the willingness to step into the world of prosperity and big vision. This is scary for people who say they want to change, but in fact are afraid of leaving the comfort zone of the world they have created. They say they want  more clients and the money to come first, and then will make the inner changes.

This is backwards. Those inner shifts needs to happen first. The old saying, “If you want to be a millionaire, begin to dress and behave like one now,”  is true.  From a place of success and sound business sense, you need to develop a vision and plan for your fully developed business. It requires building a professional website, having an upscale office, pricing that reflects high value and creating multiple income streams that are way beyond your initial service.

When I see one of my clients make that transformation, I smile because I know it’s only a matter of time before the money will roll in and  their business will be on the upward growth. I guess I know why it is hard for people to make this shift, but I also wish I could wave a magic wand so they would wake up faster.

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I was sure there was a secret to making my marketing work and once I figured it out my struggles would be over. I was attracted to those quick fix classes because I knew there was something I was missing and I just wanted to know what it was.

This is my story. I was talented, I knew I could help people and I had huge, huge self-doubt. I compared myself to other entrepreneurs who I thought were smarter.

I was jealous and I was so tired of the financial struggle.

We all have our story and the details are not the same, but for me it  was about smarts. When I was a child I somehow got the message that I wasn’t exceptionally smart. I was average. It wasn’t  true, but I believed it was, so I stayed away from anything that I thought would be too hard. Finance was one of those areas.

One day I woke up and realized I had chosen to be poor, so I wouldn’t have to challenge my brain and fail. The problem was that I hated being in that place. So I began to climb out of that hole and the first thing I had to confront were my own beliefs about what I thought I could do.

I began with marketing thinking I just needed to get more clients. What I quickly realized is that marketing is simple strategies but I could have spent years reading books and going to tele-classes and seminars and still nothing would change. Why? Because I needed to shift at the deeper levels first and  be willing to:

•  Confront my beliefs that held me back.
•  Let go of being small.
•  Move through my fears and self-doubts.

For most solo-business owners who help people, those three things above are  part of marketing. It’s true! Anyone can learn the steps. It’s all written in books, but you won’t do it and you will keep sabotaging your success until you confront the three areas above. I know!

I decided to teach a marketing program that included getting past fears, confronting self-doubt and developing a bigger vision because this is what people need.   If you really want to help people with your service you need to be willing to delve into these areas. Only then will you stop spinning your wheels and begin to shift and change.

People need your help. You have a lot to offer them, however until you develop confidence, higher self-worth and step into bigger boots, your potential clients won’t see you and you will continue to stay stuck. Is this your story?

Free (not just) Marketing Tele-class February 23rd!

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