COULD YOU RALLY IF YOU HAD TO START OVER? LET'S DISCUSS:
If you are an entrepreneur then I have a feeling you would like to always be your own boss ... that the idea of working for someone else makes you queasy ... am I right? I know that's the truth for me! But what if something happened ... what if your business had to close down? What if your business plan was no longer valid or important to paying customers? What if you had to move away from the local following you had grown and had to start fresh in a new city? Could you rally? Let's discuss:
I found myself in this predicament before I opened The Editorâs Touch. I had to start over. I had to rally. I went from owning and running a successful and popular wedding blog that I started in 2008 to ... NOTHING. This happened all in one day. I had zero preparation time ... zero warning ... one day I was a wedding blog editor and the next: I wasn't. Can you imagine!!???
The thought process that extends from something like that isn't pretty ... it's chaos ... it's fear ... it's freaking out ... but at some point a person has a decision to make: play the victim or take control. And so goes life, right?? When bad things happen you can play the victim card or you can say 'f*ck this sh*t' and decide to take action. But the question is:
>> Have You Been Protecting Yourself For Something Like This? <<
What do I mean? Well, I'll tell you ... there are things that need to be put in place in order to survive in the business world during a tragedy like losing your business or needing to start over. Here's the thing: if you lose your business there is a very short list of things that you can bring with you when you go ... and here it is:
Your name
Your relationships
Your skill set
Your drive
That's it. If you lose your business or company then you can take those 4 things with you and those are the 4 things you need to protect at all costs.
>> Your Name <<
I am not talking about your business name ... I am talking about YOUR NAME. Heather Sharpe ... that's my name and I want to make sure people know me as me ... of course, your business name is important ... but your name is WHO YOU ARE! It's the person that people should get to know. Protect your name - MAKE IT KNOWN - even if you don't see yourself ever needing to start over.
>> Your Relationships <<
Do you have relationships in this industry? Are you cultivating them? Are you keeping them healthy? Are you giving and receiving? Are you a support system? If you are putting your name out there then people gotta LIKE you!! You need to be memorable for all the *right* reasons ... so be nice! Be kind! Be supportive! Be someone that people would want to support if the day ever came when you really needed it.
>> Your Skill Set <<
Do you have mad skills, bro!?? Skill set is something that NOBODY can take from you and if you grew your company based on your awesome skill set then you can take that and grow something again. As you move along on the adventure of being a business owner make mental notes of your skills. What do you do really well? What do you need to work on? What makes you unique?
>> Your Drive <<
Do you have the drive to survive? Are you unstoppable? Are you hungry? Staying hungry and motivated is so important for any business owner. The second you become comfy and cozy is the second someone else who is hungrier than you will pass you by and take some of your sunshine ... don't ever stop moving.
As someone who never thought my wedding blog would be taken from me I can truly say that you should NEVER SAY NEVER ... plan for never. Plan for the unthinkable thinks. Protect 'the list' that you can take with you ... and even if the day never does come then you have just grown the 4 most valuable assets that any business owner can have to be successful.
XO~ Heather
