small business Archives - Page 26 of 28

Here's the thing: you can't fail

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

The first time I saw this question, it was a physical thing. I felt it in my stomach, my heart, my gut. Here was the thing I’d been missing. Here was something that hit the nail on the head of what held me back: everything was hemmed in by fear of failure.

It was this question that started untangling me from that fear.

Because what is failure, really? Isn’t it something we decide for ourselves, and sometimes cling to, no matter what?

Is bankruptcy failure? Society certainly thinks so. Is it failure if the first thing we do isn’t perfect? Is it failure if it’s never perfect?

Oh, perfectionism again. Let’s just all let it go, shall we?

In business, “failure” is the opposite of “success”, and they just feel like two sides of the same self-imagined coin. You get to take the coin and flip it down the gutter if it can ever tell you you’re a failure.

A project may not make the money you were hoping. Your products may not be as popular as you’d hoped straight away. You might make a mistake, let someone down.

But you learn from all of them, which is all you can ever do. Mistakes, let downs, “failures” teach us more about what works than out-and-out successes. If something goes perfectly well, how will you know which bits made it happen? Isn’t it better to have something you’d improve next time?

If everything’s a learning curve, you can’t fail.

I truly believe you can’t fail. You can fall down. You can make a mistake. You can drop the ball. You can have less money than when you started out. You can procrastinate. You can put on weight. None of it is failure.

Everything is learning what works for you, what works in the world.

Maybe you’ll learn that missing the post run in the middle of Christmas sales makes you more stressed and lets customers down. Maybe you’ll learn that trying to do too much tires you out and leaves you feeling unfocused. Maybe you’ll learn that a particular business venture doesn’t work or needs a radical shift.

And that’s okay. It’s essential. Keep learning.

Here’s the thing:

You get to try anything and everything you want. You’re in charge. And when everything is just exploration of possibility and learning new things, you can’t fail.

What’s your answer? What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Take a moment to sink into that question right now. Accept whatever comes up – you’ve probably been hiding from it.

What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail? I’d be self-employed. I’d allow myself to be open to different avenues of my business, doing only and everything that felt fun and good and interesting to me.

I’d run a retreat for small business owners who need to know that they can be and do what they want, that there’s a place for their business and brand in the world.

I’d write a blog to share my ideas about small businesses, self-employment, and authentic, holistic business practices.

I’d make time to go to yoga two or three days a week, even if it means being away from my emails during “office hours”. I’d buy a flat and start a business in the same year.

Oh, wait. That’s exactly what I’m doing. Because I can’t fail.

You know what I’d do if I had no clients and no blog readers and no money in the bank? I’d re-think. I’d consider getting a part-time job while I re-grouped. Sure, I’d feel disappointed. But would I stop trying to do my thing? Never!

And you can do just the same.

PS Want more? At my Small Creative Business Retreat, I’m dedicating Sunday afternoon to this question, plus exploring the fears that keep us stuck and stop us from doing the things we really want to do. If you’re free 20 to 23 March and have a similar stomach-heart-gut reaction to this question, I’d love to have you there!

Here's the thing: winning

I’ve been watching a lot of the West Wing recently (I’m only on season 4, so may I implore no spoilers, please!) and I love it. It cheers me up. It gives me hope in intelligence, hard work and moral integrity. (Which can’t be said for many American dramas, but that’s another story…)

I’m also reading Carole King’s memoir, Natural Woman, which is both beautifully written and completely fascinating. The section I’m on right now is about her work with political campaigns for presidential candidates, so these two things have started fitting together, and it got me thinking about the concept of winning.

Carole King performed (at fundraisers) for two presidential candidates who didn’t become the next president, but she wholeheartedly admired and respected their campaign and ideologies. She found “joy in finding common purpose with other Americans… who had come to politics not out of fear, hatred, or greed but because they wanted to make the world better.”

Oh, Carole. Yes! Yes to coming to anything in life from somewhere other than fear.

It strikes me that we often get caught up in “winning” or “success” as arbitrary achievements. You win if you make a sale. You’re successful if your product is featured on a certain website.

Sometimes, we think that doing better than someone else means we’re winning In fact, there’s a line from Toby in the West Wing: “You want to beat them. I want to win.”

What if winning is, like Toby, about your own definition of success?

What if you get to choose what matters to you? (Spoiler alert: you do)

What if it doesn’t matter whether you get elected as president, but that you influence the people who are to create policies and projects you believe in?

It’s no secret that I’m highly motivated by doing a good job. I’m an idealist and a recovering perfectionist. I want it to look good, with integrity, positivity and accuracy – as well as a high dose of authenticity.

If I can get through my day sharing my wisdom, encouraging people to do what matters to them, and helping them find ways to do more of it, that’s enough for me. That’s winning.

So here’s the thing:

What does winning mean to you? How do you define success? How do you define enough? (Which is just as important.)

Perhaps it’s enough to get out of bed each morning, think about your business and keep your dream alive.

Perhaps it’s enough to connect with people who like your designs and your ideas.

Perhaps you’re winning if you make one person’s day with your designs and your ideas.

Perhaps you’re winning if people are buying your products.

Perhaps you’re winning if you’re breaking even right now.

Perhaps it’s enough that working for yourself makes you happy, and that you get to share your happiness with other people.

Whatever winning means to you, define it. Live by it. Take some time to think about it, so that you can celebrate each little win.

Here's the thing: intuition

Every Friday I post a “here’s the thing” blog. “Here’s the thing” is something my mum (and many other wise people) like to say when they’re about to make a good point. Hopefully these posts are also good points.

I believe that intuition plays a huge part in our lives, but also in business. I believe big businesses underestimate their CEOs’ and employees’ ability to work intuitively. I believe small businesses (especially if they’re creative) run on intuition by necessity. And I believe that if we were all to hone and cultivate our intuition, we’d improve our ability to make the decisions that are right for us.

Let me say more about that bit about small businesses…

We work alone. We work with innovative ideas and iterations that haven’t been seen before.

Time and resources are limited. When we’re making decisions about what colour to use on a product, or whether to put X or Y on Facebook, we work intuitively. Part of that intuition might include using information we’ve processed – consciously or subconsciously – about what worked before.

Yes, we might use research (our own or others’), but we certainly don’t have huge budgets and buckets of time for qualitative and quantitative data processing. For brand agencies, market researchers, and data analysts.

Once we’ve got the best possible information, ultimately most decisions come back to what feels right for us.

And that’s not to say intuition is always the knee-jerk initial reaction we have to a particular problem or decision. Sometimes that’s reserved for fear, or anxiety, or I’m-not-good-enough judgements.

Intuition is the deeper voice, the one that somehow knows, the one you’ve always had to lead you down the right path for you.

Intuition doesn’t care what other people are doing. (Comparison is the thief of joy.) Intuition works exclusively for you and your work.

Intuition is your way of learning, processing and deciding that can’t always be explained immediately. And it’s often quicker than going round the houses in trying to back something up.

Here’s the thing:

Intuition, like any other skill, needs cultivating. It needs practice. It needs conscious attention.

To make it really valuable to you and your business, you need to tend to your intuition, building up the trust you have for yourself.

A few things to try to cultivate your own unique intuition:

1. Think back. Remember a time in recent weeks or months when you made a decision or acted intuitively. How did it feel? How did you know it was the right decision for you? Did you “just know”? Were there still doubts? It could be as simple as deciding which product or image to put on your website’s homepage. What was the impact of your decision? Is there anything your intuition can learn for next time? (Even it’s just – hey, you were spot on!)

2. Make your fears and insecurities conscious so that they don’t get in the way of your intuitive voice. We all have fears and insecurities. And while it often feels like you want to push them down and lock them in a safe 20 leagues under the sea, that actually makes them stronger and more aggressive. As uncomfortable as it might feel, I thoroughly recommend writing out all the fears, worries and insecurities that come up for you in general and regarding specific situations or decisions.

Be really honest, and really specific. (“I’m afraid I’m a fraud, and one day people are going to find out.”)

Notice if and how you catastrophise (“This product will fail, and then no one will like me, and my business will go under.”)

When you’ve got a nice, big list, take it all in. Become aware of how your fears might be your knee-jerk reactions that block your intuition. Be kind to yourself – these fears aren’t “bad”, they’re just beliefs you’ve picked up to try and keep you safe. A little misguided, and ready to be heard but not followed.

3. Sit with your intuition. It really benefits from being respected and listened to. You might choose to meditate, or write down your ideas. You might just think about how you work intuitively while you’re cooking or out for a walk. The more space and intention you can give to this muscle called intuition, the stronger it will get. If you have a wave of inspiration or there’s an idea you can’t shake, write it down, say it out loud. Whatever feels right, even if you can’t back it up right this second. That’s your intuition asking for a louder voice.

Wishing you a wonderful end to the first week of the year, and lots of lovely intuition,

Like the sound of working more closely with your intuition? I’ll be covering it at my Small Creative Business Retreat (20-22 March). A weekend of relaxation, rejuvenation and re-connecting with your business (and your intuition!). What could be better? Book your place now!

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Notes of Encouragement