BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR

FREEEEEEDOMMMMMM

to travel and work anywhere in the world…. or in your own backyard!!

LIVING IN THE NOW

I am a person who lives in the present, in the now….maybe it was the way I was born but I do believe losing both of my parents, all grandparents and an uncle by the age of 25 probably cemented the belief that the future is not guaranteed so enjoy what precious time you have now.  

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

A cliché from the mid-1980s but so relevant to most people today, especially since many people had to shift to working from home during the pandemic.   Work/Life balance means something different to everyone.  I am an entrepreneur and became one so that I could spend more time with my husband (he traveled, pre COVID-19, 150 days a year) and be able to work anywhere in the world.  The other reason to have a more flexible schedule is I love to ski but do not like crowds.   I wanted to be able to rearrange my schedule so I could head to the mountains any day of the week and enjoy the snowfields – I do not chase powder days (yet), I am absolutely 100% a bluebird day kind of skier!!

BEING THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP

Being an entrepreneur does not necessarily mean you work less hours or the work is easier, but you do control what hours you work and where you.  It’s an opportunity to create a job where you do what you love, work with people who give joy to your life and feel great that you are helping others.  You are the captain of the ship and get to steer it in any direction you desire.  A ship is a good analogy as with any voyage, you are going to have calm days at sea where everything is smooth sailing, there will be times where you have to weather a storm and spend many hours making sure your crew, your ship and passengers are safe and you will use your expertise and unique skills bringing the ship into port and somehow pulling it alongside a very small dock.

DELEGATING THE WORK

You can’t do everything yourself - why would you want to?  As an entrepreneur, even at the beginning, take on the mindset to delegate as much work as you can.   This will free up time to focus on your core business (what you love to do, you are good at and was the reason you became an entrepreneur) or spend that time with family, friends and for me, spending time skiing (winter) and hiking (summer). Be aware that when you outsource any part of your business, you will need to make sure the work you are paying for is being completed as promised. I learnt the hard way and I do not blame the company I hired as I did not ask the questions I should have, I did not set up regular meetings to review the work that was being done, there was no clear and concise contract completed before the job started and I just kept paying them the monthly fee. Needless to say, after a period of time, I found out that none of the work promised had been done, I was out thousands of dollars and there was nothing I could do.  How do you find the right people to help you? Welcome to the powerful world of Networking.

NETWORKING

Networking is the one thing I gravitated to as soon as I became a solopreneur.  Networking for me, was an opportunity to meet other people in business, to ask questions, learn from them and to build a business community so that I could better help my clients as I now knew people in other industries who I knew well enough to recommend.  It took a while to find a networking group where I felt people were not there just to sell you something (although we all had products or services that other people may have been looking for) they really did want to become part of my new business community, a resource, a friend, a person to collaborate with and share the wins and losses that would come with owning a business.  eWomen Network was that first organization I felt most “at home” with when I attended meetings. I love their core message “Lift as we Climb” and the women and men I have met and continue to meet are inclusive, knowledgeable, inspiring and provide so much helpful information that has helped grow not only my business but me as a person.  You meet so many different people in so many different industries and even if they are in the same field, they may have a completely different approach to how they help their clients.  To be successful in networking, you need to be yourself, be genuine and have a clear message about who you are, what problems you solve and who is your ideal client.  It is hard for people to refer you to use your services, if they are not sure who you work with or how you can help.  A networking group you love may not be the right group for someone else so it may take a few visits to different groups to find out which one resonates with you and feels like you’ve come “home”.