Take the leap, Invest in Yourself

Investing in your skills to run your business effectively is not a luxury it is a necessity; a vital ingredient for success.

The most fundamental skill of all is your ability to sell your goods or services. Your business will not thrive unless you equip yourself with the tools and training to grow your business.

You might feel overwhelmed with all the tasks you need to learn and it might feel like a huge mountain to climb. But by considering the priorities and making the time and investment in yourself it will pay dividends long term.

So why are so many people hesitant to invest in themselves?

Self-Doubt 

Money constantly flows through our lives.

There are many milestones in life when we spend a vast amount of money. Consider the cost of going to University, learning to drive, buying a car, buying your first house, getting married, having lovely holidays, and then having children. During all these life events, our family and friends cheer us on and celebrate with us. The cost will be hundreds of thousands of pounds, and often no one bats an eyelid!

When it comes to investing in starting a business, this can be a very different ball game. For the first time, you might encounter doubts and concerns from your close circle. Questions around the viability, risk, lack of security, and comments about ''getting a proper job'' are detrimental to our success as they seek to erode our confidence. But this will only happen if we listen to them! 

When have you, as a small business owner, ever experienced self-doubt? This tends to creep in after the initial excitement of launching your business idea or when you’re changing direction, pivoting, scaling or moving away from ‘what you’ve always done’. From this point, we can begin to believe those negative thoughts. We may also begin to believe we can not build this business alone. But no successful entrepreneur ever built a business on their knowledge, with no support, completely independently. All of them got training and support, I know I have. You must push doubts aside and trust that your business will be a success, and acknowledge you need to support to be successful. 

Success and Support 

Once you have accepted success is not something we reach alone you need to focus your mindset. The voices around us need to inspire and encourage, not question, and cause us hesitation. Seek a tribe that does this. I created The Business Lounge to fit that purpose. Running a business involves taking a gamble, but you have more to gain than you have to lose. I spotted a great quote recently - 

        "Take a risk, or work for someone that did."

That is the choice, put simply and succinctly. You can create your success. There is no reason you cannot be successful. Surround yourself with other business champions. People who care about your success, sympathise when things don't quite go to plan and give you ideas and solutions. Pay attention to who gives you support and start ignoring the doubters. 

Self-Belief Creates Sales

If you do not believe enough in yourself to invest in your development, how are your customers expected to believe in you? Sales training creates confidence in your ability to sell and this, in turn, creates self-belief. Customers are drawn to clarity and confidence. They will also tune out to someone who is not focused and lacks belief in themselves. When you discuss your offering with a customer, you want to have the ability to communicate in the best possible way.  

Prioritise investing in yourself

Consider these questions. 

•  If you don't want to invest in yourself or your business, ask yourself- is running a business right for me?  
•  Are you bumbling along without a clear strategy?  
•  Do you keep posting on social media and hoping someone will buy?  
•  Do you lack focus and clarity?  
• When talking to customers about your offering are you clear and concise?  
•  If you ‘hate selling’ how can your clients to ‘love buying’ from you? 

     If you’re comfortable, your clients will be comfortable. If you’re uncomfortable, your clients will be uncomfortable. 

Clarity and Confidence Attracts Commitment.  

When you invest in yourself, you fast track results. The money you invest is never wasted as the skills you learn you will have for life. As your confidence grows in your ability to close a sale; so will your business. 

Be decisive, take the leap of faith, invest in you and you will find the rewards are immense. A world of opportunities simply opens. Get the sales results you desire. Your customers need you!  Taking a step forward will be the route to enrich your life. 

Warrant Buffet is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He believes in the power of developing your skills and see this as a major attribute to growing your business.

So make today the day you decide to invest in YOU!

(I know I do).

Check out The Elevate Circle here and learn to be sales confident in just 10 weeks. This is a new and exciting way to learn about selling, ideal for solo entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to grow their business. 

To your continued success, 

Enfys