Fear is a very real emotion that comes into play when starting your own business. There are two ways to deal with this fear. You can choose to let it overtake you and never start your business or you can allow it to be a driving force to keep you focused.
When is Fear Good?
Fear is not always a bad thing. I remember being very nervous before singing a solo at my high school's spring concert. My music teacher, calmed me down by stating that a little fear is always good. He believed that it would force me to remain focused on my notes and words. When no fear is present, we risk becoming overconfident and lose sight of our goal.
When is Fear Bad?
You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith. ~Mary Manin Morrissey
Mary Morrisey said it best. We run into trouble when we allow our fear to outweigh our faith. So now comes the question, 'How can we eliminate our fear and increase our faith?"
1. The More you Know the More Fear will Go
As a teacher over 14 years, I found that students who didn't study for tests would be most fearful of exams. Meanwhile, the students who were sure about the topic came in the class with very little or no fear at all. As an entrepreneur, you must strive to obtain the same level of faith as the prepared student. Become the prepared business person.
Understanding your business will make you more confident and less fearful of starting it. The internet is my favorite source to research my business. I encourage you to spend time surfing the net. You can also seek out government funded programs that will help you with your business such as SCORE. Mentors at SCORE will be more than happy to help you and give you free advice. Another great resource is www.SBA.gov. This is a U.S. government operated site that gives information on how to succeed as a small business owner.
2. Find a Mentor
It is a very good idea to link up with an experienced entrepreneur who is in your field or a similar field. Talking with someone who has been there and done that will ease your worries. Hearing their success and failures will give you a better idea of how you should conduct your business. A mentor can also be used to express your worries and concerns. If the mentor truly believes in you and your business venture, he/she will help you ease your fear and help you increase your level of faith and confidence.
3. Keep a journal
Keeping a journal with a record of progress will help reduce your fear. Write everything down. Write down the day that you became incorporated. Write about your licenses and your certifications. Write when you landed your first job. Write about the research that you found in your field. Your journal could be used as a cheerleader. Pat yourself on the back when you see that you are making progress. Celebrate as you increase your experience and knowledge. As your faith and confidence grows, your fear goes.
Let me know what you think.
No comments:
Post a Comment