1. You get distracted by "opportunities"

Opportunities might come along that seem exciting and lucrative, but if you're in the beginning stages of your business and don't have a solid foundation from which to engage in these opportunities, beware!

Your focus should be on getting clear about your brand, messaging, ideal client and programs and products before engaging in "opportunities" that threaten your business's identity before you even have one.

Once you're clear about your business identity, you will know which opportunities align and which do not. This allows you to make smart decisions about which opportunities to pursue.

2. You provide too many ways to work with you

You don't need home study courses, group programs, retreats, VIP days and private coaching in your lineup of offerings... especially if you're just starting out. 

It's absolutely possible to get to six figures in your business by only offering VIP days and private coaching. I did!

When you create too many ways to work with you, all you do is spread yourself thin and overwhelm potential clients with options.

As your business grows and you become successful with one or two offerings, then add in additional offerings, only if they align with the direction you want to take your business.

3. You're trying to create leverage in your business before you have a tribe

If you are trying to create leverage in your business with a $197 home study course or maybe a $1,997 group coaching program before you have a tribe... STOP!

I get it, most of us want to create leverage - to reach more people and make more money, all while investing less of our precious time.

But when you're in the early stages of your business, you don't have a following, so who is going to buy your course or group coaching program? Not very many people.

Trying to create leverage before you have a tribe is actually going to result in less money and more of your time, than if you were to focus on building personal relationships and attracting one-on-one clients.

4. You think selling is "bad"

You get pissed off when you hear a sales pitch at an event or when you receive promotional emails from other small business owners.

You think things like "selling is manipulative", or "they're just in it for the money". 

But at the same time, you wish you had more clients and money!

You can't grow your business, attract clients and make money while at the same time thinking that selling is bad. 

Sure, some people give selling a bad rap. But that doesn't have to be you. 

When you sell from your heart... when you offer a service that will transform someone's life... and when you do it in an open, authentic and honest way, only good things can come from selling!

5. You're looking for the "magic pill"

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is, the "magic pill" doesn't exist. And your search for it is probably leading you to invest in a bunch of programs and products you don't need, in a desperate attempt to find the "one thing" that will help your business grow.

While there isn't a magic pill, there are timeless strategies that will lead to growth, like nurturing relationships and building your tribe. But keep in mind that the things that work require consistency over time.

I didn't get to where I am in my business today with one magic pill, but I can say that consistently building and communicating with my tribe, getting clear about my brand and investing in the right support and trainings are the things I contribute to my success. 

6. You're waiting to be discovered

I believe that you're great, but if you think you can write a blog and the right person will stumble upon it and offer you your big break... sorry, it's not going to happen.

You have to go out there and get what you want. You have to demonstrate your greatness before someone else will see it in you. 

This means you need to stop waiting to be discovered and give yourself permission to step up and lead NOW. Apply for that speaking opportunity, start that Meetup group, reach out for podcast interviews. 

7. You don't pay attention to your money 

Maybe you're afraid to look or maybe you're just lazy, but paying attention to your money is a KEY to business growth.

You need to pay attention to your money so you can make informed decisions in your business about where to focus your energy and time. 

Which products, programs or services are bringing in money and which are wasting your time?

How much are you spending vs. how much are you making?

Not making anything yet? Well, I recommend tracking that too because every day you write down a "0" is more motivation to get out there and make some money!

Paying attention to your money is so important to your business growth, that I dare say, you aren't a realbusiness owner until you do.

8. You don't have repeatable processes

Every time you send a newsletter, bring on a new client, or post to social media, you start from scratch. 

You don't have repeatable processes, meaning a step-by-step outline of things that need to happen for a particular task to be completed.

And you don't have systems to help you implement these tasks quickly and easily. Therefore you are drowning in overwhelm and wasting time that could be spend on money-making activities.

9. You whine about everything there is "to do" but you never actually do it

Do you ever find yourself spending more time thinking about what needs to be done than actually doing it? 

It can be easy to overwhelm yourself with anticipation of the tasks at hand, but if you used all the time you spend whining and complaining about how "hard" or "overwhelming" it is and just did it, you'd be much less overwhelmed. Promise.

10. You give up too soon when something doesn't work

When a coaching program, talk or webinar doesn't work out as planned do you give up after the first try? 

Most of the time, the first time we do something doesn't go as well as we hope. But it's only by assessing what worked and what didn't, making changes and trying again that you will start to see long term success in your business.

When you jump from one thing to the next, looking for immediate success and discarding anything that doesn't live up to those standards, your brand becomes confusing to potential clients, you create more work for yourself and you sabotage your business growth.

11. You're hiding

As a service-based business, YOU are the face of your brand. This means that what potential clients are investing in is a relationship with you. If they don't know you, like you and trust you first, they will choose to work with someone who they do.

If you're hiding...

• behind quote images on social media
• by refusing to get vulnerable through your content
• by staying at home behind your computer instead of venturing out to create connections
• by not showing your face on your website or social media platforms

...your potential client won't have the information they need to make the decision about working with you. And therefore your business will not grow.

12. You're committed to doing it all yourself

You won't hire a virtual assistant because you don't believe you can afford one and you won't hire a coach because you're going to try to get as far as you can on your own first.

I've been there. I get it. I also get how difficult it is to talk someone who is in this mindset, out of this mindset, because that was me. 

But let me just share this:

Because I refused to hire a coach for the first few years of my business, I wasted TONS of time, doing things the wrong way, that my coach later had to help me fix. If I invested in a coach sooner, I probably could have reached six figures in my business three years earlier.

It wasn't until I hired a virtual assistant that I was able to actually break six figures. My virtual assistant allowed me to focus my time on the tasks that moved my business forward instead of the administrative tasks that consumed my time.

13. You choose to DIY your branding because you don't think it's worth the investment

OMG, you should have seen my branding when this was my belief! I'm so embarrassed. My DIY brand gave off all the wrong impressions, attracted the wrong clients and made me look cheap, unprofessional and immature.

I've seen this time and again with business owners who try to save money by doing their branding themselves. Their brand ends up looking cheesy and unprofessional, and makes them look like an amateur business owner.

Your brand is the first impression your potential clients have of you. And whether you want to believe it or not, first impressions do matter!

Don't make the mistake of repelling potential clients because you refuse to invest in your visual brand!