If there is one thing that resonates with me, it’s the fact that Janet points out that entrepreneurs are go-getters. They do not simply sit back wait for something to happen in their business…they make it happen. As a coach for virtual assistants, I see this quite frequently. Too often VAs (not all, but a certain segment of the VA world) are waiting for work to come to them, rather than having the entrepreneurial spirit necessary to make their business a success.

Enjoy!

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The Mind of an Entrepreneur
By: Janet Slack

The mind of an entrepreneur is a very special thing. It is the source of possibility, growth and success in business. All those things are rooted in the business owner’s ability to think and dream. If a new coach has been an employee for a while before starting his/her own coaching business, then they need to learn to change thinking patterns.

An entrepreneur has an excitement and passion for what is being created that translates into actively looking for opportunities to make change happen. A person who is employed by someone else is often focused on the elements that are barriers to change. The successful business person is aware of those barriers, but instead focuses thinking on HOW to get around the barriers and WHAT to do instead.

In the early stages of a coaching business, this type of thinking might look like the coach is taking risks in order to get the business rolling. This is true. In my first year as a coach, I presented three free workshops at my local Chamber of Commerce. I gave away time and information in return for free publicity and PR. I didn’t let the fact that I had never done public speaking before stop me!

The entrepreneur is looking for opportunities; he or she is seeking out people and situations that will move the business in the direction of growth. The thought is about what “can” or “could be” instead of much attention to the “can’t”. Being a detective on the search for opportunities may be all the new coach needs to open up a wealth of creativity inside and start on the path to success.

There is something about being a business owner that is terrifying to some people - it’s the idea that everything rests on you. While it is absolutely true that the responsibility for a coaching business rests on the coach, thinking like an entrepreneur allows us to leave the fear behind. The responsibility instead becomes a challenge. This leads us to the second key to the mind of an entrepreneur.

A coach who is successful is focused on action in his or her business. You probably talk often to your clients about action plans and steps to take to reach a goal; you help them with accountability, noticing and encouraging even the smallest steps that they take. Then when you look at your own business, do you lose that focus on action? Too many coaches wallow in information collection in a vain attempt to make the “right” decision and never move to significant action. Would you allow your client to do this without addressing it?

An entrepreneur accepts the responsibility for the business by moving into action. There is a basic truth that says that nothing will happen until you make something happen. In his new book, “Ready, Fire, Aim”, Michael Masterson calls this one of the most important characteristics of success. Don’t wait to get perfect aim on your target. Instead get moving and make course corrections as you need to along the way in order to hit your goals.

If you are starting a coaching business or trying to grow the business, one of the biggest questions can be, “What is the best way to market my business?” In order to think like an entrepreneur, the most important sub-question is “what is the marketing technique that you are ready to do?” Get going and do it. If the results over time are not what you need, then you shift focus, but until you get into action, your chances of success are slim.

You can learn to think like an entrepreneur and give your business more chance for success. Use these tips as a check on your thinking patterns and start to see the results you can achieve.

About the Author
Janet Slack of Life Adventure Coaching is a specialist in helping new coaches, therapists and consultants create the thriving business of their dreams. Find more business building ideas and learn all the details that you need to know as a coaching entrepreneur at www.biztipsforcoaches.com/blog/. She recently released Mind Your Own Biz: Discover the Secrets to Creating a Successful Coaching Business a step by step guide to starting your coaching business right.