Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

3 Reasons Why Passion is Vital to Business Success

sandra

There are so many factors that contribute to our success in business or in any part of our lives really. The Internet is full of articles about the success factors for entrepreneurs, so why not add one more to the list? I believe that we have to love what we do. While there are always things we don’t like to do in our day-to-day tasks, there has to be a burning passion that drives us. Here are three reasons why I think that being passionate about your business is vital to its success:

  1. It fuels you through challenges. We hear so much about “knowing your why” and there’s a reason. You have to be aware of what drives you, what you’re working towards and why it’s important to you. When you don’t have clarity on these things, challenges and obstacles can really become a major distraction and take you off course. When you’re really passionate about what you do, quitting isn’t an option. The saying that “where there’s a will, there’s a way” is the truth. When you’re committed to your goals, the universe conspires with you to make them a reality.

 

  1. It takes selling out the sales process. Cold-calling does not excite me. I’m sure that there are lots of people who have no problem picking up the phone and making those calls, I’m not one of them. The exception to this is when I’m working on a project that I’m excited about where making calls to complete strangers is the only way it’s going to succeed. When we’re passionate about what we do, the people on the other end of the phone can hear it and they’ll want to be a part of it (some of them anyway). If you’re selling something that you don’t believe in, you’re going to have a difficult time.
  2. Life is good when you’re doing what you love! When you’re living on purpose and doing what you love, things start to flow much easier. Things that once seemed like the end of the world are no longer a big deal. Challenges and obstacles are seen as tests to our commitment rather than cruel punishment from universe. You know why you do what you do and it makes your hear sing. There are so many people out there that are living unfulfilled lives. They have dreams that they think can never be a reality. The fact that you have the opportunity to do what you love is a blessing, and you know it.

Passion is what keeps us going as entrepreneurs. It’s the fuel that drives us and our business. If you’re not passionate about what you do, you need to ask yourself why you’re doing it. If passion was what started it, then it’s just a matter of reconnecting with it. If you were never passionate about what you do, it’s time to figure out how to add passion to what you do or do something that you are really fired up about. If we want meaningful success in life, passion is a must-have.

Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution.She has completed her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!

Connect:

www.embraceyourdestiny.ca

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestiny

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestinythebook

www.twitter.com/sandradawes

Goals. They’re not just for the big guys!

Sheralyn

The Importance of having goals, no matter what size your business is.

Often, the small business entrepreneur starts out in their field because of a particular passion.  Perhaps you are an amazing baker or skilled at making unique, handcrafted jewelry.  Likely you’ve attended a seminar or two that talked about embracing your passion so that’s what you did.  But, don’t be blinded by it. Being passionate about something is good for the heart and soul but it won’t necessarily pay the bills. I once had a passion for collecting teddy bears but that didn’t translate into owning the “Build a Bear” empire.  To accomplish something like that I would have needed goals and a clearly defined path, not just passion.  So whether your goals are lofty or more level headed, the importance of having them cannot be overstated.

Big business doesn’t own the concept of having a Mission, a Vision for its future or of establishing clearly defined goals. Even if your kitchen table is your office, no matter what size you are, your business will only grow and that growth be measurable, if you set well-defined goals.  Whether you use a vision board, a goal setting technique like SMART, or get advice from your local SBEC centre, take a good hard look at your business development plan and set both short and long term goals.  Decide where you want to be in 1 year, 2 years and 5 years and then get to work designing your business plan around that vision.

Clearly stated goals that are recorded and always visible (post them on your wall for example) help keep you focused. They remind you when you get off track (don’t beat yourself up, we all get off track once in awhile!) they allow you to refocus and if necessary, to redefine or reshape your business plan according to current economic and business conditions. As a boat without a rudder floats at the mercy of the sea, without a plan you too will float along – at the mercy of others and their priorities, without benefit of a mapped out route that would help you achieve clear sailing once more.

I had the opportunity of visiting SBEC, a small business enterprise centre recently.  The experience was invaluable in helping me clarify exactly who my target market should be.  In talking through my business ideas with an advisor it suddenly became clear that the market I was actively pursuing was not necessarily the one that would help catapult me to the next level of income earnings.  When I got home and started recording the specifics of what I actually do day to day, as well as writing down why I do it and who is best served by my business, it suddenly became obvious that I should be seeking out entirely different client opportunities.

I started writing a business plan that day.  What do I really want to accomplish?  What are my goals?  My business was something I dabbled at, something I found enjoyable and that I was reasonably good at.  Without goals however, I had no focus. To follow the tried and true classic formula, here’s what you should do:  Make your goals S.M.A.R.T.  When they are Specific, they are Measurable and when they are measurable you will know if they are Attainable and you will be able to track your achievements. Make sure that your goals are Realistic. If you flunked Grade 11 physics, you might not be heading the space shuttle program anytime soon. Making a million dollars is a great goal but perhaps set your first target a little lower. Enjoy the satisfaction of reaching that goal – then target the next realistic monetary goal.  Finally, make sure your goals are Timely. That is, give yourself deadlines, specific dates that you can actively work towards and measure your success against. Goals and having a vision will help bring clarity, unity, and focus to your everyday activities, even if your boardroom is your bedroom and the kitchen table is your office!

 

WRiting Right For You
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Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

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