7 Ways to Fast-Foward Your Financial Success

Sometimes I think we make this whole business building thing a lot harder than it needs to be.

And I know a lot of us grew up with the belief that in order to make money you had to work really hard. There’s nothing wrong with hard work. But there’s also nothing wrong with choosing to make things easier whenever possible.

Here are 7 ways you can make generating more income in your business, faster and easier:

1. Get peer support.

If you’re feeling the loneliness of being out there all by yourself, behind your computer screen, trying to figure it all out on your own, then consider getting some level of peer support. Find a place to go that’s made up of your peers where your voice is heard and your real fears and doubts are addressed so you could move forward much easier and faster than you could on your own. Even better if you can find such a place where you can go 24/7 and get just the support you need in that moment.

2. Invest in a mentor.

If you’re at the place where you’re experiencing some success but you’re concerned about continuing to make decisions without some level of ‘been there, done that’ expertise to back them up, then this is the sign that it’s time to invest in a mentor. Whether that mentor is part of your peer support or you choose to work privately together, having a mentor is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get where you want to go.

3. Invest slightly above where you’re at.

Seek out great coaching support where admission to participate isn’t out of proportion to your income. Perhaps you’ve already tried to make your business work by cobbling together a little support from here and there, but you’re craving a place to call your business home. Investing in a program slightly above where you’re at WILL cause you to step up your own inner and outer game. Showing that you’re serious about being in business by investing in yourself and your growth is the best return on investment you’ll ever get.

4. Consider less content in exchange for help in implementing what you already know.

Sometimes you just don’t need more information, but you need help in putting into action everything you already know. There’s a big difference between “I already know that” and “I’m already doing that.” Getting support that helps you with the ‘doing’ part oftentimes is more important to the success of your business and your bottom line than learning something new.

5. Focus on “what’s the next step” only.

My clients often tell me that they love how I laser in on what’s most important to focus on next, which gets them unstuck and out of the spin-cycle of doubt and confusion. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider focusing on just one thing, the next thing, you need to do to move forward. If you can’t see it or simply don’t know, get the support you need from a coach or a peer.

6. Get group support

Having immediate access to a support group and a place to toss out ideas, titles, price points, launch strategies, language, etc. will make you feel supported in a way you probably haven’t found elsewhere. If you crave a safe place to share your ideas, thoughts, fears, doubts, celebrations and more – to whine and vent too, if need be, then look for an intimate group where you can have that. Beside having a bunch of other eyes and brains to shine a light on any blind spots you simply can’t see out there on your own, having this kind of sacred support will give you an enormous sense of relief as you move forward.

7. Choose a mentor whose lifestyle you desire (not just whose income you desire)

This is a tricky one. Perhaps you’re enamored by certain mentors who are living the high life, raking in the bucks, and seemingly doing it all without a care in the world. I’ll caution you that usually not all is what it seems. Building a business is hard work, no matter what level you’re at. So be careful to choose a mentor whose lifestyle is one you REALLY want.

My clients are attracted to me because I focus on the whole picture and not just on making money. For me, having a 6-figure+ business while only working about 15 hours a week is what matters. Sure, if I worked more, I’d make more. But I simply don’t want to – I want to spend the majority of my time on my family.

So be clear on the whole picture of what YOU want before you decide who to mentor with, ok?

I’d love your thoughts on this – please feel free to share below… thanks!

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Firming Up Your Boundaries in Your Business

In the over 15 years I’ve been in business for myself, I’ve developed very strong boundaries around how I will and will not operate my company. Some of those boundaries are common, some are not, but all of them have led to faster growth while being happy with how I run my business.

And yet, even with vast experience in this, there are times when I stumble.

And I realized that a common theme had emerged, that I thought would be helpful to share with you.

The theme is letting someone or something else decide anything for you.

For example, letting a client decide when they schedule coaching calls, instead of having set dates/times that work best for you to choose from.

Or allowing a client to decide when to pay you, instead of having a process in place for collecting payments on the time-table you set.

So where in your business do you need to firm up your boundaries? Where do you need to make them crystal clear?

Here are 3 key areas to look at:

1. Clients
Think of you current clients and notice how you feel about each one individually. If there’s any sense of negativity, see if you can discern what that’s about. Sometimes simply asking the question, “What’s bugging me about this?” and journaling your answer can bring clarity. If you can’t quite put your finger on it, talk it out with your coach or a trusted colleague (respecting your client’s confidentiality, of course).

Oftentimes if you can identify what feels ‘off’ to you, you can address and fix it fairly easily. However, if it’s something that makes you feel resentful or less than excited about working with this client, it might be time to get really clear for yourself on what the issue is and address it directly with the client. You can’t expect someone to abide by your expectations if they don’t know what they are. Yet if you’re clear and the issue continues, it’s time to let them go.

2. Money
One of the items on your to-do list every day should be giving attention to your money. For example, making sure that payments are current, following up with any that are not current, sending invoices on time, giving clear instructions on how a client can pay you, etc.

On the other hand, you also want to be making sure the money you’re investing is also wisely spent. Are you getting the service you were promised for the price you are paying? Are your tasks being performed in the most efficient way with the proper skill set so you’re not paying more for something than you need to.

Where in your business can you be firmer or more clear in your boundaries around your money, both in terms of what comes in and what goes out?

3. Time
This is a big boundary for me, and probably the one I am the most clear and firm on, and by doing so, it enables me to show up 1000% when I’m ‘on’ in my business and empowers my clients to do the same.

And this isn’t even necessarily about my summers off, but it is about deciding for myself how I will spend my time (which is my LIFE) and not letting someone else decide that for me.

Practically, it’s having set dates/times for coaching, not answering the phone the moment it rings, not responding to emails/posts immediately, or not re-designing a program that I’ve put an enormous amount of effort into to better please the client than it does me.

It means walking my talk of working less than part-time hours and keeping my priorities first, while still honoring the promises I’ve made to the people who choose to work with me.

Some of the lessons I learned the hard way when I first started out was letting the client run the program they were in, signing on a client who I knew intuitively was not a good fit, letting a client create a payment plan that worked for them but did not work for me – all of those were my own boundary issues. Once I recognized that and got really clear and communicated that clarity, I no longer struggled with these – and better and better clients who respected my boundaries showed up.

You may disagree with some of these examples or concepts I’ve shared – or you may have been in business long enough or have enough experience not having these or similar boundaries clear and enforced to know better – and when we know better, we do better, right?

Share your thoughts with me below…
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