Many entrepreneurs insist that they are not in business to make money. They are in business to share their experience, knowledge and talent. To help others, in their lives. Not to make money let alone profit.
Having made the realization a few years ago that money is a really bad motivation to start a business, I couldn't agree more. But, I have to disagree that the money side of a business is irrelevant.
I wonder if the intention of making money irrelevant is because the whole money conversation and need to address it, feels icky. It brings up all sorts of chatter from a place of fear and self doubt.
I know from personal experience that when you allow your fears around money to either overwhelm you or force you to pretend it's not important, it either creates enormous anxiety and stress or it makes it impossible to stay in business.
If you could address the icky side of money, asking to be paid, charging your worth, imagine the fulfillment you would feel knowing you have the profit to reach more people to share your business with, all while supporting other business's services and products to make that happen.
So how do you work out if your fears are actually sabotaging the profitability of your business?
Consider if these three common fears resonate with you. Keep reading if they do, as I'll give you a way to start removing them.
1. Fear of 'selling' your products and services to a potential client.
Does the thought of having to finish your presentation with talking about the products and services you have to offer and the price of those products send you into a cold sweat, panic in your stomach, so you just don't?
2. Fear of what problems success will bring with it.
Do you worry that you won't be able to keep up, maybe let people down, feel guilty for missing time with your family and kids if you get too successful?
3. Fear of money flowing out of your business.
When money starts flowing out of your business to the pay bills, do you start to panic that maybe that will be it for sales and you may never have enough flow back again?
For me, living with these fears in my business, I got to the point of struggle where I had had enough.
I was done living with the stress and overwhelm. It was just too difficult and I had to make a choice of either walk away from the business we had created 12 years ago or find a way to get my fears and self doubt under control. My entrepreneurial ego forced me into the latter option and I am so glad it did.
I came across Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT / Tapping) and my life has never been the same since. EFT is where our meridian acupressure points can be lightly tapped to move those fears and doubts out of our energy and thoughts.
You can literally feel your emotions changing as you go through the process.
We actively seek out our fears, every one of them lurking in our sub-conscious so we can focus on them. Then write them down, exploring the multiple layers of negative beliefs.
It is important to acknowledge that the fears and doubts are there from past messages, looks and responses from the people around us. To make the shift we then use a key word or phrase to represent the belief and tap on each acupressure point to overcome it.
Following this process will cause big shifts in what you believe at a soul level of what you are capable of and the possibilities that will open up when fear is no longer making the rules.