It’s no secret that starting a brand or business is hard. Often times things get in our way, but the reality is that more often than not, we’re actually the only thing stopping us from the success that we’re seeking. Once we get real with ourselves, we realize that the things that we’ve been claiming are stopping us aren’t even true. Before you spend another moment building your brand, it’s important to remove certain key roadblocks that have been stopping you from actually starting or actually going all in and seeing the results you’ve been looking for.
In an effort to help you remove these roadblocks and catapult toward your success, I’ve put together the top 5 myths that are stopping you from actually starting your business. I actually cover these same myths in Episode One of my podcast, Brand Bites with Kim Brio. So let’s get into these myths and let’s get real… you may not like me when we’re done.
MYTH #1: IT’S TOO EXPENSIVE
Ok, let’s get real. First off, we make what we want to happen, happen. If you’ve attended a Beyonce concert, purchased a new pair of shoes that you didn’t need, or went out and spent hundreds of dollars on a weekend; YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO LAUNCH YOUR BUSINESS! Without question, having funds available for your business launch is super helpful and can accelerate your growth if invested properly, but NOT having many funds IS NOT a deal breaker. Learn to DIY the things you don’t know how to do, or find cheaper alternatives that you can upgrade later. Where your business starts is not where it will end, start small but just start!
DIY, bartering, and crowdfunding are all tools that you can use to build and grow your brand until it can financially support itself. The moral of the story? A logo can be less than $100, domains are typically less than $25 (FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR), and web hosting can be less than $20 a month. It’s free to open a social media account to create your audience and grow your following. I bet you’ve spent that, without blinking, on things that won’t facilitate your growth or advance your financial status. “It’s too expensive” is a myth and excuse used way too often……are you ready to drop this excuse from your repertoire?
MYTH #2: I DON’T HAVE TIME
One of the next most abused myths is: I don’t have time! Ok listen…you make time for what you want to make time for. How many times have we heard this or said this to someone? The same principle applies here. If you’ve binged an entire season of a show on Netflix, wasted/lost hours on Facebook or simply talked on the phone during your day job lunch break, you have time to develop your business!
I understand that we all have some heavy responsibilities. We’re husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, breadwinners, housekeepers, and counselors all before we even start thinking about ourselves. I get that. What I want you to do is identify the times when you CAN work on something just for you (even if it’s only 10 or 15 minutes at a time) and consciously use that time to develop some portion of your business, even if it’s just a brainstorming session. Practice what you’ve surely preached in the past: You make time for what you WANT to make time for. Remove this excuse from your psyche and move forward toward pursuing your dreams!
MYTH #3: I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M DOING
The next myth we’re getting rid of is: I don’t know what I’m doing! Newsflash…none of us knew what we were doing when we started! The only way to truly learn is to get out in the trenches and learn by experience. Structured learning is essential, but the key is putting those learned principles to practice. Most successful entrepreneurs have had many business ventures before they have one that blows up. Now that doesn’t mean that your first venture won’t be successful, but it does lend to the idea that failures in business aren’t actually failures, but lessons on your journey to success, and that the only way to learn and move closer toward success is to get out there and actually do it.
No one knows what they’re doing 100% when they begin their business journey, and you won’t be any different. In a time where you can use the Internet to learn just about anything, “I don’t know what I’m doing” just is not a sufficient excuse and it forms a myth that in order to go into business or build a brand, you have to already know it all. Well, you don’t and you won’t! Consider what you already know that’s relevant to your business journey and brush up on it. Use that process to determine what you want to know that you don’t know and get out there and study the industry and processes; before, during, and after your business launch. Never stop studying, because you’ll never know it all, but I can guarantee that you already know enough to begin your journey. Take that myth and toss it out the window, because you’ll never feel like you know enough!
MYTH #4: I WON’T BE SUCCESSFUL
The next myth on the chopping block is: I won’t be successful! Listen…if you speak it, it will be true! The key to ensuring that this remains a myth is to stay positive and optimistic. This isn’t rocket science. It’s the law of attraction if you repeatedly speak that you won’t be successful and put it into the atmosphere, YOU WON’T BE SUCCESSFUL! The truly sad part about that is that in reality, your success is actually inevitable. If you work hard and consistently put positive energy into your business, you WILL succeed. Again, it’s the law of attraction.
The idea that your success is somehow questionable is the real myth. You have to know that if you put the energy in, your success will come to pass. It may not be right away, and it may not be a success in the way that you envisioned for yourself, but you WILL be successful. Just don’t give up!
MYTH #5: I’M/IT’S NOT READY
Hear me and hear me well…you will never be “ready,” what the heck does “ready” mean anyway?? When we say this, it is the textbook definition of an excuse, the reason being that you will never FEEL ready! (Trust me, I spent years waiting to be “ready.”)
I understand being prepared, and you should definitely do so, however, I find that when you’re at the stage of planning and preparing, you’ve already taken the leap! You’ve made a conscious decision to change your life by following your business dreams, and when asked you won’t respond with “I’m/It’s not ready,” you’ll respond with exciting details, intriguing questions, or requests for support. Stop the myth madness, and get real and honest about why you haven’t started your business or truly gone all in.
So here’s the real. The only way to remove the roadblocks stopping you from actually getting started is for you to remove the excuses that are in your way. Get real about what’s really stopping you, and if you need to discuss it, I’m here to help.
