The reasons business planning can feel overwhelming when you're starting out, and how to create your own path.
We often feel overwhelmed by the words ‘business plan’, even when we’re excited about the idea of running a business. The pressure to make the right decisions, define our vision and follow other people’s advice can leave us doubting ourselves before we’ve even started. Understanding what’s behind this resistance can help us work out what we really want from our business.
An unexpected complication
Many women feel enthusiastic about starting a business until they hear the words “business plan”. Suddenly, what felt like an exciting idea at first becomes overwhelming, and they begin to wonder whether they should go for it.
If we don’t have previous experience running a business, we may be tempted to think that all we have to do is get going straight away. We believe we just need to take action and everything will be well. After all, we often hear stories of great successes, but not necessarily the struggles behind them.
Taking action matters, of course. But turning an idea into a business requires some thought and planning. We need to spend time working out important things: what to offer, who we want to help and how we want to run our business. This is where things can get complicated. We’re faced with questions about our ‘values’, ‘vision’ and ‘mission’. If we’re new to business, we may not understand what these terms involve. What seemed like a straightforward idea can then feel a lot more daunting than we expected.
Inspiration is good, but it's not a blueprint
When we’re new to business, we naturally look to successful people for inspiration. While learning from others is encouraged, what works for them won’t necessarily work for us. When I first started out, I visited other practitioners’ websites for inspiration. Some worked in completely different niches, such as weight loss or general tapping, so I eventually had to rework things. I didn’t want to focus on weight loss, as most of the people coming to me needed help with business problems, like a lack of direction.
Looking back, I realise I needed direction myself. Working with those clients helped me address some of my own issues, too. It also forced me to answer the very questions I’d been dreading about my mission and objectives.
The pressure of not being perfect
Knowing what matters to us isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. We may come up with a long list of values and struggle to narrow it down to those that should be the driving force behind our business. We might value both honesty and kindness, for instance, but wonder how to be truthful without hurting someone’s feelings. Or we may value independence while also wanting to work with others.
Having a clear vision for the future, a meaningful mission statement and a set of values that represent who we are essential when writing a business plan. Therefore, we may worry that focusing on the wrong values, or on what we hope to gain rather than what our clients will gain, could send our business in the wrong direction.
I once attended a property investment meeting (where I felt totally out of place), but one of the speakers said, “You must start with the end in mind.” This is a valuable lesson. Think of a skipper navigating a boat: having a destination in mind helps them choose a direction, but they may still need to adjust their course as conditions change. The same applies to our business: we need to decide how far we want to go and what resources we are going to need before we start our journey.
How to work out what matters to you
Instead of trying to write the perfect mission statement or define your values straight away, start by asking yourself a few simple questions.
- What made me want to start this business in the first place?
- Who do I most want to help, and why?
- What do I want my business to make possible in my life?
- What do I want my business to achieve, beyond making money?
- What resources, skills and support do I already have, and what might I need?
For more questions to consider before starting a business, take a look at 17 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Starting a Business by Bianca Miller Cole in Forbes.
When you still feel stuck
Even when we know we need to work out what matters to us, finding the answers isn’t always easy. We may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work involved and struggle to decide what to do next. Procrastination may follow.
Fear of failure, self-doubt and perfectionism can make it difficult to trust our own judgement. We may keep researching and planning because taking action feels risky, perhaps because we’re afraid of losing money or choosing the wrong direction.
This is where EFT tapping can help. By working on the emotions behind our doubts and fears, we can gain clarity and feel more confident about making decisions for our business.
Your business, your direction
Your values, vision and mission help you make decisions and build a business that reflects who you are, who you want to help and what you want from life.
Learn from experience and change your mind when something no longer feels right. The aim isn’t to copy someone else’s success, but to build a business that works for you.
Daphne
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