Smart Solutions: 5 Steps to Taking Your Business from Imaginary to REAL!

In my recent post, Do You Have an Imaginary Business?  I shared with you the number one question you needed to answer before you could move tangibly into making your business real. You need to determine your WHY!

Now, that you’ve got your WHY . . .(and if you still don’t, keep working it, it’s the cornerstone to your success) you can take the next 5 steps to taking your business from imaginary to real.

Make Your Business REAL

#1 Name it and claim it.
You can’t change what you won’t acknowledge. Look hard at what you are doing, is it real, productive and profitable or imaginary? AND IF IT’S REAL, AWESOME, THIS WILL WORK FOR YOU AS WELL.

I hear a lot of excuses around why people aren’t doing the business they say they want to do.  Get bold, and be brave, admit they are excuses and you’ll be able to move forward much faster because you won’t be fooling yourself anymore.

#2 Make the list of all the things you think you need to do, (and that you think are holding up your success)
Yes, the giant grandaddy list of them all, the one that puts you in lock down and overwhelm, that’s the one I want you to write. Leave nothing out, you’ll be prioritizing and categorizing in the next step, you need the master list first . . . business cards, website, social media, LinkedIn profile, business license, certifications, etc.

#3 Prioritize your list by those activities that will generate leads and income (directly, not indirectly)
These activities go to the top of your agenda, before social media, before a logo design, before your website (unless you are in e-commerce.) While all of these pieces are necessary in the big picture, to immediately get money in the door, you need to get out and meet people, face to face, voice to voice by phone and find out if they have a need and if you are a fit.
Yes, there is a sales process, but staying at home in your PJ’s and wringing your hands while making excuses isn’t part of it! (We’ll tackle sales process in a future post.)

#4 Break it down to get it done
Everything else on your list gets broken down into bite sized pieces and one piece at a time gets knocked off your list.  Be sure to add the name of a resource next to each piece who can help you, whether it is an actual service provider, a tool, a program, or whatever else you think is relevant.

#5 Get out and meet people who can move your business forward.
Hint: This means prospects, not colleagues. While it’s fun to hang out with colleagues, it doesn’t make you money. Get over it.

BONUS: Find a coach you resonate with who will keep you on task, provide resources and strategy to grow your business, and not take any of your excuses!

Now, you have the genuine beginnings of a real (no longer imaginary) business and you’ll make real money to fund your real dreams!

Please share your comments below, I want to know where you are in business (real or imaginary) and what you think is holding you back.

WHAT’S YOUR BIG EXCUSE?? Share below.