Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

It can be quite overwhelming when you finally say yes and start building your business. So let me ask you, are you prepared to do 200% more work? Or do you think that because everyone makes it look so easy, that starting a business is a piece of cake, so why can't I?

If you are new to this entrepreneur lifestyle, I suggest that you start by taking advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow your business. Be prepared for the new clients and customers that you anticipate selling your products to should be your top priority each day. If you love what you do, you will feel the excitement of building your business every day.

Starting a new business is terrifying and exciting all at the same time, the joy of the unknown and the fear of that very same unknown. There is so much work to be done, so many things to create, and it is crucial to keep the momentum going in a positive manner.

You have heard this saying over and over; remember why you started. Next time you feel like quitting, remind yourself of the emotion that is connected to your passion. Then make sure that you bury it deep inside so that you can feel it as it drives you to start your business. This reminder should also fuel you every single day. Then you can implement the specific actions required to achieve the success that you okay want for your business.

New to entrepreneurship? Here are 5 tips for preparing to launch your business idea.

Focus on the END GOAL every week.
Plan ahead, prepare for the people, resources, and tools, that you will need weekly.
Block out time and dedicate specific times throughout the week to take action on your goals.
Be intentional and spend your time wisely. No distractions. No notifications. Dedicated productivity hours create tangible results.
Hold yourself accountable. Stop making excuses for yourself, start putting an end to your bad behaviors. New levels require new management. Oh btw. You are in charge!

My Mistakes

Can we talk about the mistakes that come from being underprepared? When I first started developing my business and servicing clients, I found it imperative to underpromise and over-deliver.

Do you feel frustrated not knowing or understanding this new world of entrepreneurship? I did. It can be confusing, switching hats from working for someone and working for yourself. If you did not work as a service provider or in human resources, there are processes that you may not have learned about directly.

I make it a requirement to stay three to four steps ahead of my clients, so I can deliver what they needed. Since you are just getting started, this is the best place to start the preparation.

Clear Products and Services Offerings: Make sure you have all of your descriptions for your products and services listed on your website.

Potential clients need to have a clear idea of what to expect from your products or services. It is even better if they have this clarity before they talk to talk to you directly. You may be the best salesperson, but it will save you time and effort if you have prepared and set the expectation for them before closing the deal. The best option would be that they will buy directly from your website. If they do not need to speak with you because your digital marketing did the job, then you know your messaging is working.

I understand that you are just starting your business, so some of these steps may begin to feel like extra work, but it is better to be prepared than not. You do not want to show up unprepared to a meeting that you could have maximized. Instead, you walk away feeling defeated because you were not prepared. Confidence is everything. Even if you work on nailing your marketing and confidently delivering your sales pitch, I promise your confidence level will skyrocket the more prepared you are.

Pricing and Product Packages: Knowing your prices and sticking to them is another great thing you should prepare when starting your business.

The crazy thing is people feel like they can negotiate your prices. If they can get you to lower your price, they will because that benefits them. This is what will happen if you do not prepare your pricing structure.

Do you have a solid pricing structure?

When you start your business, make sure you make pricing a priority. If you are not confident in your prices, it can kill your business. Know your worth, and do not allow people to underpay you.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that you may need to take random projects or do one-off tasks for the money. I get it.

So if you find yourself in this position make sure you create offers that fall in line with your goals. Create offers that still meet your

needs and provide solutions for your clients. Otherwise, you will take on projects then you'll be stuck accepting an offer and doing work that is off-brand, and leaves you feeling underappreciated and underpaid. Understand your worth, and plan accordingly.

If you need to plan to have a sale for your products, do it! Make sure it is intentional and well thought out and not happening on a whim. Don't get in the habit of randomly switching up your prices. And break the routine of customizing your offer for each opportunity. Stick to your prices, and flex only as a result of demand and sell-through.

Just a Myth

If you have been working in any field, you know that there are many different personality types, and management styles can be confusing. It's hard to jump from employee to CEO. Just stick to what's comfortable for you and your business. Be sure to identify what leadership style is the best direction to go when starting your own business. Avoid copying others unless what they are doing feels natural and comfortable for you. Some people prefer to see what happens day to day and other people worked diligently to fine-tune and perfect everything along the way. There has to be a happy place in the middle because you can overthink and underthink and waste time doing both.

The most challenging part of preparing is comfortably learning to shift and pivot when necessary. My best advice for new entrepreneurs is to keep it simple. Running a business is very new to you, and you only know what you know. Be mindful of that and be honest with yourself. You already know your capacity for putting in work month to month and day today for your business. Try not to overextend yourself. Plan your day and week so you will feel confident, not overwhelmed.

Being prepared means incorporating processes that you can manage. Creating these processes will keep you from skimping in the long run.

For example, focus on consistency.

If you need to package your products, package them the same every time.
If you have a process for signing up for your events or services, be consistent. Don't switch it up.
Find systems and create structure in the beginning and adjust and eliminate as you go.

The quote for the week.

Proper preparation prevents poor performance.

In general, we should strive to prepare for what's next in our business needs. By working a little bit on the big picture every month or quarter, you will start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Start by spending time on new thoughts and ideas that will take your business to the next phase. Make it a best practice to work on this list and start preparing for the opportunities that are coming down the pipeline. It feels so amazing when something spontaneous or unexpected happens that creates a new opportunity. These ideas may not be a fully developed thought, but knowing that you can refer to this list and speak to it feels good. Now you know it's needed, and you can prepare to start working on it.

Having processes in place that allow you to be prepared every day saves time, money, energy and puts you in a position to excel in your business. Otherwise, you will be running in circles chasing your business. It will be clear that you won't be running your business; your business will be running you.

Limiting Beliefs

Do you find yourself scrolling through social media and only seeing the competition instead of the opportunity? Understand this. There is room out there for you. So don't be discouraged, be inspired.

The truth is you won't truly get the gist of what the competition offers in comparison to your business by looking in from the outside. Some of the people you admire may look like they've got it all under control and can be a total disaster off-line.

Be prepared. It is time out for faking it until you make it, I promise you, you don't want to take that route. The feeling of being a phony can turn into imposter syndrome quickly. You may feel competent and capable, but the lack of preparedness will begin to way on you. Equally, focus on making things look polished for people looking in from the outside and make sure when they work with you directly that that same feeling shines through.

I remember working in retail and going to the stores to check on their merchandising placement. As the visual merchandise manager, it was my job to ensure that all of the directives were implemented in each location. The funny thing is it's so easy to make a store look good for the executive team as they walking in.

Each store needed to have the fixture placement correct. I had to check that they followed the specific directive and had the correct marketing and signage up and everything was priced right. But it could easily be a terrible environment to work in each day.

So this is why it was equally important for me to talk to the employees as it was to be visually impressed by the store's 1st impressions. You don't know what's going on until you dig deep and see if the processes are in place correctly. We used to say there's no sense in putting makeup on a dirty face. Let that sink in.

Don't waste your time pretending to do good work. Spend your time doing the research and finalizing your processes so that you can build a permanent structure that will allow you to run your business. What will happen if you get sick and your business can't run? Would somebody easily be able to step in and help on your behalf? If the answer is no, then you've got some work to do. Start to create processes that can run even if you are not there.

Don't be afraid to work on your business. It's imperative to learn to do things for your business that you may not be 100% understand. It's a learning process with every aspect of your business. Take time to learn the things that you don't know how to do very well, and continue to create a process that makes the things you do well run smoothly.

For example, let's say you don't understand Instagram. If you can financially afford to hire someone to assist you with your social media, hire an expert to help you.

I suggest you take time to gain an understanding of the basics first. Don't be afraid of things you don't know. Nine times out of ten, you are fearful of technology due to user error. You are just scared to make a mistake. But the truth is you are just doing it wrong. Take time to gain a basic understanding of how things work, and what you should expect, and what's required before you hire someone to do it for you.

There are so many resources available right now for new entrepreneurs. Make time to be dedicated to doing the work and taking the time to learn. That is one of the main reasons I strive harder and harder each day to provide tangible relatable affordable products so that you don't have to struggle while watching your business. I believe in making things easier to learn so that anyone who has the passion and desire for more in their life can achieve it.

If you are looking for easy training to help you organize your vision and need Brand development assistance. I'm your coach! I have a simple DIY BYOB Be Your Own Brand Online Course that will ensure that you are set up for success when launching your business idea. Let me know if you are ready to say YES to that BIG Scary thing and launch your business Cre8tively! www.cre8tivevibes.com

Join me each week for a new episode and a new perspective. Learn how to SHIFT those old thought processes and prepare for the PIVOT to create a major change for your future.

Entrepreneurship is more than a journey, it's a lifestyle. It's time to stop making excuses and BE THE CEO of YOUR LIFE! www.bridgetterooks.com/books