Managing Your Entrepreneurial Mind
Just when I think I’m satisfied, when I think I’m settled in for a while and have all the pieces in place for my business, I get bit with a new idea. You see, I’ve been blessed with what some call that true entrepreneurial spirit. Some might consider having an entrepreneurial mind a negative trait but from my perspective it’s a good thing. It keeps me innovating, trying new things, and finding exciting new information that I can share with my clients. Like developing and improving my product and service offering. Every time I learn something new it gives me more knowledge to share with my clients.
But, there was a time not too long ago when I was denying myself the thrill of exploring developing new products and services because I thought I ‘should’ just be content with what I had. I’ve since embraced a new perspective and now don’t hold back from entertaining new ideas. One of the things I warn business owners about are BSO’s – those Bright, Shiny, Objects that get us off track. The biggest danger is in losing sight of the basics that are working and letting them fall to the wayside. You can never make any forward progress at all if you keep starting and stopping.
So, the trick is to make sure all the other plates keep spinning when I’m exploring new possibilities. That’s where having a marketing strategy comes in handy. There are a handful of marketing activities I do consistently that have proven to work for me. As long as I continue to do those things I can develop new products and services all I want.
If you have an entrepreneurial mind, here are a few tips for staying on top of what you already have in place:
Stick with the tried and true. If you have a product or service that has proven to work for you, don’t forget about it while you’re working on your newer, more exciting projects. How do you know what’s been working? You should be tracking your sales numbers each month so you know what people are buying from you. A sales tracker template is included in my business strategy workbook for an at-a-glance view of what works. Keep it where you can see it.
Stick to the marketing methods that work. I recommend business owners select 3 – 5 marketing methods and then put a plan in place to ensure that they are implementing those methods consistently. If you can automate some of your marketing methods, even better. I use a high-powered back end marketing automation system that takes care of itself once I put the campaigns in place. That works perfectly for my online marketing and it frees me up to keep up with in-person networking and speaking engagements.
Don’t hold yourself back. If you love to try new things, go for it! There are plenty of negative labels out there for people who have creative minds and thrive with busyness. They used to be called ‘Type A’ personalities but somewhere along the line our culture decided that this was a negative thing and something to be fixed. Unfortunately, labels can really limit a person. It saddens me whenever I talk with someone who has a list of labels and sees them as a barrier. I could get into quite a rant on this topic but I won’t. The point is, know yourself and embrace who you are.
My encouragement for you is that as you embrace your entrepreneurial mind and explore newer, better ways of doing things you will continue to do the things that are working and put a plan in place to stay on track. One thing about entrepreneurs is we don’t mind working. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Remember, you can achieve whatever you believe as long as you are willing to work for it!
Liz Uram is a business strategist and marketing plan expert, working with entrepeneurs to sort out their big ideas and get results. Get your free eBook Boost Your Business Now!