I Hate To Break It To You....

This is a tough post to write. Because I think I'm probably going to piss a few people off. What I have to say is going to be hard for some folks to swallow. But here goes...

If you aren't actually working on your business every day, it's your fault if you don't get ahead.

You can't just cold message a few random folks...

Put up a cat video on Instagram...

Spam your link all over Facebook...

And then spend the rest of the day watching Real Housewives...

(Or whatever the hot show is. I'm so out of touch with television, I don't actually know.)

And then tell me you are building a business.

Now that might hurt a little. I can already hear the collective gasp of indignation. Followed by the usual litany of excuses.

"I'm still working my job so I don't have time."

"I don't have money to advertise."

"I don't have all the right equipment."

"I don't know how to do __________ (fill in the blank with whatever)"

"I'm too ________ (again, fill in the blank)"

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...

I hate to break it to you, but none of these excuses are valid. 

Still working? So are lots of other up-and-coming rockstars. Can you spend an hour...just one hour...every day doing something to move your business forward? If you say no, you and I need to talk. How serious are you about this?

No money? No problem. Most of us didn't have money when we started. That's one of the reasons we started a business. We needed more money! Fortunately, with the internet and all of the tools available, you don't need a lot of money to get started. 

No fancy gadgets and gizmos? All you need anymore is a laptop or smartphone and a way to connect to the internet. 

Don't know how to do something? Google it and learn. Or go search YouTube for a how-to video. Or join my FB group. We teach you stuff!

And if you think you're too (rich, poor, fat, thin, old, young, whatever), you're wrong. There are literally hundreds...maybe thousands...of people just like you who are doing this. Successfully.

The difference? They treat their business like a business. It's not a hobby that they work on only when everything is perfect. It's NEVER perfect. So when they hit a speed bump and those excuses start to creep into their heads, they push forward. The rest of you grab the popcorn and the remote and complain about how tough it all is. 

I'm being tough with you right now because I don't want your business to be like this. If you are a reader of my blog, I assume you are an entrepreneur at heart. Even if you're struggling to get started. 

So let's make some changes.

Change your mindset. If you want more out of your life and your business, you have to believe that it's possible.  

Look for ways to learn and grow. Sure you may need a few new skills. You can learn most of them for free or very inexpensively. Then it's just a matter of practice.

Start making connections. Sometimes it feels like you're the only one struggling. I promise you, you're not. Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs who are building their businesses. You might be surprised how many of them have been right where you are now and found solutions. You might even have the solution for someone else's problem. 

So...I hate to break it to you, but...

If you REALLY want to build a successful business, it's possible. You just have to do the work. Or you can continue to whine and complain. 

But if you have time to whine and complain about something, you have time to do something about it!