Let’s paint a picture: You’ve had a business idea in your mind for years, or you have a business plan already made and think “one day it will happen”. You know it could be successful, but you get so overwhelmed by the thought of all the moving parts to make it happen that you throw your hands up in the air and say “It’s too much!”
You make excuses as to why you haven’t launched it yet, or put the blame on other factors in your life. But in reality, the only one sabotaging starting your own online business is you. Yikes!
That’s a hard dose of reality, hey? Let’s dive into 6 reasons why you’re sabotaging starting your own online business:
1 -“I’m not good enough.”
Why do you think that? What’s the underlying reason as to why would say this to yourself?
Is it because you’ve failed at something in the past, or you’ve been told by someone that you’re not worthy? Or perhaps you don’t think you have enough education to do it? Usually there is a past obstacle that is holding you back and transforms your mindset into thinking this negatively.
So what’s the worst that can happen if you launch your online business? Do you really think that your family and friends are going to tell you you’re not “good enough” to be launching it? Heck no!
You’re taking that leap, you’re making that commitment to yourself, and you ARE good enough and worthy enough to do it.
2 – “I could never make enough money as _________.”
Why not you? You might be comparing yourself or your business to Pinterest or Facebook Ads, or an Instagram influencer that has thousands of followers and makes 7-plus figures a year doing what YOU want to be doing.
Remember their success didn’t happen overnight. Those people hustled their butts for YEARS to get to the point where they are now, and their business is now a well-oiled machine. They all started from zero like you, so why NOT you?
If you put in the hard work, learn the strategies to have a successful online business and give it time it can happen!
3 – “I’m not as smart as _________.”
You don’t need a Master’s or PhD, you just need to be better than someone else in showing why your product or service is best for them. You have more knowledge than you think, and sometimes we forget the knowledge and skills we have today is more than we had 10 years ago, and somebody out there could be at that starting point just like you were then!
Sewing a scarf could be easy for you, but that’s because you had years of practice at the sewing machine and it’s amazing to someone else what you made and they want to buy it from YOU.
4 – “Someone else is already doing what I want to do.”
That’s fantastic! That means what you want to sell is already working and there’s an audience who WANTS to buy what you’re offering. You just need to tell them why you’re different, how you can help them differently from the other person and why your products or service work.
If you’re overwhelmed by over-saturation in the market stop thinking about your “competitors” and focus on serving your niche and target audience instead. Speak to them, connect with their wants and needs and don’t worry about the others. There is more than enough money/content/education to go around online!
5 – “I don’t have the time.”
Probably the most popular excuse when it comes to sabotaging your business. If you don’t want to commit to your business idea, then I’ll tell you right now that it’s not going to work. If you’re really passionate about your business idea, set aside a certain time each day to work on it. This could be first thing in the morning before you head off to your day job, or at night before you head to bed.
Create the time to make it happen and focus instead on serving your audience, instead of making it about you and your obstacles. You need a plan, a process and a schedule to keep yourself on track and implement the ideas you have. Write the steps down and create deadlines to achieve them!
6 – “There is so much involved in starting your own business: website development, digital marketing, tech knowledge, etc.”
You don’t need to be a website developer and know code in order to start your website, or be a marketing expert to make a killer social media feed, or a tech guru to have an online business. Take it one step at a time instead of thinking about the bigger picture which can be overwhelming.
Start with coming up with a business name, then register your domain name, pick a website theme that suits your brand etc. Read articles or blogs that teach you each step, there is tons of information and tutorials out there to help.
Whew! Did any of those reasons speak to you? I know that every single one of them applied to me when I started my business, so I KNOW you don’t want to be the reason why you’re sabotaging starting your own online business. You probably didn’t even realize you were until now!
You should not be the obstacle, but the cheerleader! I truly believe that every business idea, product or service has an audience out there that wants to buy it. Now is your opportunity to make it happen. You CAN do it!
Let me know what amazing idea you have below and if any of these reasons apply to you. And if you’re ready to launch your own online business, check out my Launch Your Online Business Toolbox. I’ll be here cheering you on from the side and helping you achieve your business dreams!
