8 Things Successful Business Owners Do Differently

I’m going to give it to you guys straight—not every person I coach goes on to become a six-figure success (and *why* is that arbitrary number a measurement of success, by the way? That bothers me. But I digress…).

It’s just not the nature of the life + business beast (think: procrastination, perfectionism, unrealistic timelines or goals, impossible standards, *life stuff*, etc.).

But some? Oh, baby. Some clients and their businesses fully *shine.* Some go on to spend the rest of their professional lives pursuing what sets their hearts on fire and make a pretty penny doing it.

A question I’ve been asked a few times recently is, “What’s the difference between your clients that go on to become successful business owners and those that don’t?”

It took me about 5 minutes to identify these key eight things, and don’t worry—EVERYONE is capable of all of them. So, get your pen and paper ready and write this down:

You have to practice ‘Imperfect and Done’ over and over again. Progress over perfection, people. I can’t say it enough. So many of my clients are A+ perfectionists, but we’re aiming for a B- to see results. (Yup. I said it. B-!) The key is getting started and the finessing, tweaking, improving, shining-up, and perfecting will follow!
Take baby steps to build the strongest foundation. If you are waiting for the sun, moon, and earth to align in order for you to kick off your dream business, it will never happen. Putting one foot in front of the other is the fastest way to get where you’re going, but if you try to take short cuts or make big sweeping movements all at once, you’re going to end up burning out or skimming over the important stuff! (What did I just say? B- work and imperfection, ladies!) Give yourself the gift of time and energy by taking small, intentional, formative steps to ultimately build a big successful business.
Keep your Nancy Drew hat on forever. This is my fun way of encouraging you to be a CEO and a detective. Stay curious. Stay explorative. Don’t assume that what’s in front of you is the truth and nothing but the truth. By always experimenting, tracking, noticing, and adjusting, you’ll be able to uncover new and innovative ways to evolve your business, and consequently ensure it is the most successful version of itself it can be! There is always a valuable lesson to be learned somewhere as long as you commit to looking for it.
Don’t let things become stagnant. Here’s a business coach hot take: if you’re not evolving, you’re disappearing. No one’s business stays the same, even and especially including the major brands you know and love. Let’s take Coca-Cola as an example. How many times has that polar bear undergone an animation adjustment? And sure, New Coke was obviously a terrible idea, but coming up with Diet Coke? Genius. Instant classic. (Jury is still out on Coke Zero, IMO.) The point is, anyone who is able to maintain a long term business does so by adapting to the times and making adjustments to fit their clients’ growing needs and shifting interests accordingly.
Don’t throw in the towel if/when things don’t happen right away. It is extremely rare to strike gold out the gate. Those who claim to “make six figures in their first six months of business” are the wild exception and anomaly, not the rule. Building true success takes time, and if you anticipate seeing results right away you’re in danger of becoming frustrated, pessimistic, and losing steam if it doesn’t shake out that way. Know that building a successful business is a marathon, not a sprint, so stick with it! (Hydrate. Eat a banana. You got this.)
Stop putting busy work before marketing work. Here’s the thing— spending three hours picking the perfect stock image gets you nowhere. But, spending three hours pitching your business gets you everywhere. Nobody lands a sale because of their creative font choices, but everybody lands a sale because somehow, someway, their client(s) found out about them and realize they have the solution to their problem! Invest your time into spreading the word and getting yourself out there! The fun fonts aren’t going anywhere.
Remember every failure is a lesson in disguise. I hate to get all “mom” on you, but it’s true! Similar to numbers 3 and 5, you need to keep your wits about you if things don’t go the way you want them to right away. If things go wrong, evaluate what happened, pick yourself up, and pivot. (Growth and change live in the failures!)
Get the support you need to keep following through. I’m incredibly lucky to have a husband that was totally on board for my big career shift from my soul-sucking day job to a creative business coach. I also have the best Mastermind Group of like-minded gal pals and entrepreneurs! Alas, it’s not uncommon for my clients (or anyone taking a risk) to be less fortunate. If you find yourself alone with your biz-building dreams, one of the most important things you can do is take the time to find your like-minded peeps. Whether that’s identifying a friend who you trust or reaching out to online or local communities, you will need back up in this big and exciting/scary life initiative!

Stick to these guidelines and you’ll be golden, gal! All of the other nitty-gritty bits to starting your own business will fall into place.

Another great way to get motivated, stay on track, and tap into a support system is to sign up for my free ‘How to Launch Your Biz in 90 Days!’ webinar, coming up at 7pm ET on March 16th! Guided by yours truly and full of other like-minded women, this live webinar covers specifics (just like the above!) and how they play into getting your biz up on its feet in just 3 months. Plus, there will be plenty of time to ask your own questions and hear transparent answers straight from the business coach’s mouth (‍). Save your spot here!