FAIR WARNING… if you're a spiritual business owner who is struggling, this article may touch some key points as to why you are and may piss you off, as well. My intention is to deliver a real picture of what I've consistently seen work and NOT work.
The online world is VAST with up and coming new age and spiritual leaders and stars. This is a very good thing and even greater for the world. Now more than ever, our world needs leaders like you, and by getting clarity in these 5 areas, you stand a greater chance at success giving you the ADVANTAGE.
1.Personal Money Beliefs Are Weak And Get Weaker Without Proper Action
Your own money beliefs may be keeping you broke…and you self-sabotage before you even get started with a business.
You really have to free yourself from old money beliefs and even thought patterns that may be holding you back and keeping you broke.
For example, if you are constantly worried about money, how you’re going to get money, or how you’re going to survive without money…then you are using up some major brain power stripping you from actually being able to make money!
Worry comes from lack thinking and DOING.If you have money issues now, then starting a business with the hopes of making money is not the answer.
Get your finances in order. Have a plan in place with your own finances before diving into a business, otherwise, you’ll only bring those issues, habits, and beliefs into your business…reducing your chances of ever making it a success.
Know exactly what you owe, when you owe it, and structure payment plans.When you know where your money is flowing, you have clarity and you can make better and more empowered decisions moving forward.
Charge for your services. If you expect to pay for goods and services from others, then wouldn't the same apply to you RECEIVING payment for the goodsand services you provide?
If you’re struggling with charging, then please take a moment to think about what you offer and if deep down inside you think it’s worth anything to anyone.When you dig down deep inside, do you believe your goods and services will truly help others?If you don’t think it’s worthy yourself, you’ll never be able to sell it either and therefore you will never profit from it.
If you know you can help others, fear not setting rates and stick to them. The more wobbly you are about rates and prices, the more wobbly your business and growth will be, too.
2.Routinely Seek Approval And Input From Energy Vampires
Is your own self-confidence in question here?Following up on whether you believe in your own goods and services (from #1)…a great indicator about your own self-doubts is if you constantly seek approval or if you’re waiting for the perfect time, the perfect product, the perfect _______________ (fill in the blank).
The more you delay and seek approval, the longer your own success will be delayed, too.Entrepreneurs work from inspiration and ideas and ACTION different from those who aren’t entrepreneurs.
Building up your own self-confidence will help you walk a path different from the masses.Remember, seeking approval from those who don’t hold the same vision, enthusiasm, and experience as you is also seeking approval from energy vampires who will not only strip you of your energy but will chip away from your own progress and success.Know how and who you're communicating with and be persistent about your business journey. In other words, don’t worry about the critics who know nothing about your vision.
Invest your time and energy to learning and developing more about what it takes to make your dream become a reality from those who are already doing it.Invest in events , communities, programs, and mastermind groups that will support you, teach you and help you hold your greater vision to completion and success.
Success doesn’t happen alone behind the laptop.It happens with deliberate and focused ACTION and INTERACTION aligned with your vision and purpose.
3.Fail To Set Up Daily Practices And Systems
Visualization, affirmations, and positive thinking is a common practice among spiritual entrepreneurs (and good ones to have and keep)—but not enough to build a business alone.
There is ALWAYS something to do and overwhelm can easily sneak its way into your day.
Every day, write a list of a minimum of 5 things that must be tackled and that are aligned with the greater vision.In other words, the list must hold high-value tasks (so, checking emails is not on this list).
For example, if you’re launching a product or service, then setting up systems for it would be a high-value item to complete to automate sales, deliveries, and customer care.
SCHEDULE time on your calendar to work on high-value items without interruption .If it doesn’t make the schedule, the likelihood of it being completed lessens dramatically and you add to your delay.
What doesn’t get completed one day gets added back again on the list for you to continue to tackle for the next day, until it’s complete.
4.Ignore Daily Effective Marketing
“Don’t build links. Build relationships.” ~Rand Fishkin, Wizard of Moz
Commit to accomplishing daily practices of action-oriented tasks to grow your business.This includes allocating time for managing and growing your social media presence and participating in areas of social media where you can GIVE and BE of VALUE (like Facebook groups ).This is different than simply posting your page, or promoting your product.
Give value every day in some way.
Build your reputation online by providing value and support to your audience and your colleagues (through Facebook pages , groups , FB LIVEs, etc…). If you're only out to sell/promote your page, products, books, and services…then no one will ever really know you and what you're about.
You must help your audience build confidence in you before the purchase, so…
- Avoid promotion focused posts ONLY is a sure way to be overlooked and won’t build your reputation
- Avoid too much personal and little value helping others won’t build your reputation
- Do capitalize on the networking social media brings (and provide value) versus purely socializing
- Do make daily interaction worthwhile and something everyone looks forward to reading and engaging with
MOST IMPORTANT, please, please, please… AVOID… NO… STOP …any babble that makes no sense to most people and that is too mystical for anyone to comprehend.Doing so is one sure way to be overlooked and will delay your business growth even more .
Meet people where they are and if you’re inviting them to explore spiritual ideas and practices…then use marketing language that is easy to understand and gives rise for people to ask more questions about what you do and how you do it.
Marketing is the oxygen of your business(without it DAILY you can not survive). Can you live a day without oxygen? Somewhere along the road, marketing was given an ugly reputation.Nothing is farther from the truth. Marketing is not sleazy and when you get it, you can utilize the power of content (which is still the number ONE way to attract an audience, keep an audience,grow your audience) and grow your business.
5.Lack Of Education
How valuable was it for you to learn your methods for your spiritual business (Reiki, Tapping, Hypnosis, Meditation, Health and Wellness, etc…).Did learning them help you overcome challenge?Did it move you to learn more and now help and teach others?Education is vital to your success…always and in ALL WAYS.
If you are so moved to invest, learn, study, and practice that which moves you to continue to help others through a spiritual business, then, how much have you invested in learning what it takes to run a business? (Be honest with your answer here).
I don’t mean business college degree here.I mean, what have you learned about website, design, email management systems, social media, marketing (yes, marketing), landing pages, sales copy, ebooks, funnels, the importance of about me pages, mission statements, business accounting and taxes, etc… ???
The internet is overflowing with programs, teachers, mentors who can get you on your way to success MUCH FASTER and with less time waste than any hacking attempt or trial and error method.
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." ~Isaac Newton
Bottom line:The moment you expose everything that you don’t know … you now know what to do, right? Over the years, I've personally invested over $30K in my own business education and it was worth every. single. penny . I still invest in programs and teachers who will continue to push me to the next level. My business growth will only go as far as I'm willing to grow myself.
Listen, you may be a master with your skill (and I’m glad that you are and that you’re choosing to share it with the world – that’s valuable contribution)…but also allow yourself to be a beginner at building a business and invest in the learning the same way you did for your other skills . It doesn't have to equal the $30K I invested…but invest something toward your business growth and development and move the needle toward success.
You’ll know how meaningful it is to you by how much you’re willing to invest your own time, energy and money for it to prosper.
Looking back, I know what I valued and what I didn’t simply by what I was willing to do for it… or not.
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