A Self-Coaching Guide to Small Business

The proverbial rat race is the one paradoxical location that most people have just as hard a time getting into as they do getting out. While this statement may seem contradictory, it is true. The rat race, according to Robert Kiyosaki, is the “churn and burn pursuit of a paycheck.” While the Rich Dad organization helps people find their way out of the rat race, this article pauses a moment to reiterate how important it is to first find a way to get into that rat race. Being successful at business is basically a proposition of learning how to create your own little flywheel of commerce. Once you create a system for financial gain, business becomes a game of duplication. However, finding your own money stream can be difficult. This topic is of great concern to me since the workforce I generally support is the Free Agent, the small business owner, or the individual who is a self-proclaimed “Me Inc.” entity. I work with people who want to live their lives and earn their livings by doing those things that inspire them.

Therefore, finding a way into the “rat race” is more than a proposition of being able to eat. It is a necessary step on the path to owning your professional satisfaction. The good news is that neither magic nor voodoo is required for success. Here are a few ideas for those who want to learn how to make money.

1. Interview someone who is doing exactly what you want to be doing, earning what you want to be earning. Find out the key behaviors that they consistently perform and attribute their success to. How many presentations, sales calls, follow-up e-mails and new business networking meetings must they complete in order to get a new account or client? Take notes. Experiment. Discover which components work for you. Create your own system of monthly, weekly, daily tasks that contribute to your bottom-line. Create a system for charting your progress. Keep track of your statistics.
2. If you are looking to get hired for a particular job, read C.J. Hayden’s book Get Hired Now! Another handy reference book is the most recent version of What Color is Your Parachute? Both offer you ideas and lists of key activities and behaviors that typically land folks jobs.
3. If you are looking to build new business for yourself or your own small company, invest in C.J. Hayden’s book Get Clients Now! You could take a course on this same material. Learn the basics of client acquisition. There is a science to the process.
4. Sit with your own intuitive nature and generate your own creative ideas. Then be brave enough to experiment on these ideas. Use a coach or a sounding board to debrief after each experiment. Note what worked, what didn’t, what you learned and what new action can now be generated by what you’ve experienced.
5. Read the book Now, Discover Your Sales Strengths or Strengths Finder 2.0. Take the test that comes with the book and learn what talents are waiting for you to develop so you can better sell yourself and your offerings.
6. Regardless of the industry, seek out the people you admire. Shadow, observe, as well as interview them. Then adapt their formulas and apply to your own situation.

This is a simple and short list of how to get started in creating your own system to show yourself the money. Everyone has the capacity to build a system for creating an income. Find yours. Learn to duplicate it, and therein lies one basic secret to your own business success.

Lyn Christian is the founder of SoulSalt, Inc., a coaching and coach training company. She is passionate about the “free-agent” worker who wants to earn their living and live their lives by doing what inspires them. Get more information by visiting www.soulsalt.com or contact Lyn directly through lyn@thecoachtoolkit.com.

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