I’ve spoken with several solo consultant clients recently who after considering exiting their businesses, instead decided to recommit to them.
I have found myself repeating the same things again and again, so I thought some of you might find these questions and tactics helpful.
Where is your enthusiasm?
What part of this gets you excited? What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning and engage? Where’s the energy?
Make sure some (most?) of what you’re doing is going to get you fired up. If it isn’t, why are you doing it?
Confirm that you actually want what you’re trying to build. We all move away from pain and toward pleasure, but heading toward a delicious carrot is way more fun than trying to get away from a painful stick.
Who are your people?
I have had the joy of connecting with some amazing prospects lately. The conversations have been fun and deep.
My people (mostly) are out of technology, financial services, or professional services. These are the professionals with whom I tend to have immediate rapport. They will get my communication style and will love the way I present information.
Who are your people?
If you’re not sure, go back and look at who seems to be naturally attracted to you, or who you are naturally attracted to. Look for patterns. Try to think of easy conversations where you felt a deep bond in a short time. Are there some commonalities between any of these people?
Who do you already know?
In what industries or job functions are your professional contacts? Where are your former colleagues, managers, and vendors?
Who knows someone you need to meet?
Do you have friends, family members, neighbors, or others who are natural connectors? Connectors LOVE to connect people. Identify your connector colleagues and share who would be a good introduction for you.
Please note: You’ll definitely want to be clear on your “ask” when you talk to connectors. The more specific you can get, the better. Small business owners isn’t a clear ask. That could be me (a solo practitioner) or someone who has a $5M business and employees.
What if it was fun?
Heaviness at the beginning leads to overwhelm and shutdown. You can feel like you’re slogging through mud. It’s exhausting.
How can you find your amusement? What would it look like if it was fun? What would you be doing?
Consider that if it’s feeling heavy at the beginning, it might not be the right thing for you.
If you’re feeling anxious, ask yourself if it is anxiety or excitement. The two feel very much the same in your body.
If it really is anxiety, what could you do to feel more confident about your decision and path? (If you’re scared or frustrated, please see this post I wrote for this blog. It works!)
If it’s excitement, hooray for you! You should be excited if you’re recommitting to your business.
As you can see, these questions will help you cut to the important stuff and get into action quickly. These questions will help you confirm what you are building, who you should be working with, how you can connect with them, and how you can stay motivated. This is a great start. Good luck!
