Special Note: If after reading this post you decide to start podcasting, I’d strongly suggest you check out my friends at Podcast Websites. They’re the ONLY folks I recommend when it comes to everything you need to create, grow and monetize your podcast – including the actual hosting of your podcast, too… their 24-hour customer service is exceptional, too.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I stand before you today with one goal in mind…

I will demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt, why your audience not only WANTS, but NEEDS you to consider starting a podcast.

But before we address the reasons why your business needs a voice, let’s begin by confronting the three reasons why people typically avoid it and why, if you’ve been doing likewise, they should no longer stand in your way.

AVOIDANCE REASON #1:  I Don’t Have an Audience

I totally get it.  Why start a podcast, if there’s no audience to create it for, right?

This is one of the most common objections for starting a podcast, but the irony is that a podcast is a great way to begin BUILDING an audience.

The rising popularity of podcasts combined with the fact that they’re easily consumed (unlike reading a long article, or ebook) means you’ll have a far greater chance of building a loyal audience that likes, trusts and feels like they know you.

AVOIDANCE REASON #2:  I Don’t Have Room in My House / Business for a Studio

If you have a desk – you have all the room you need for a podcast.

This is where I podcast:

Since podcasting is still relatively new, our mind tends to link the concept of podcasting – to radio broadcasting. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Some of today’s most popular podcasts are being created in a small corner of a room.

And you don’t need that fancy microphone to get started, either. Believe me. I just used my Apple headphones when I started in 2010.

Speaking of equipment…

AVOIDANCE REASON #3:  I Can’t Afford the Equipment

You’ll be surprised with how little you need to begin.

All you need is…

• Computer.
• Microphone.
• Podcasting Software (Mac comes with Garageband already built into its applications).
• A good topic to discuss.

Ok, let’s get to the good stuff.

10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Voice!

#1 People really, really like podcasts nowadays

According to recent study conducted by Edison Research podcasting continues to show strong growth over the past 7 years. In fact, many believe that 2017 will be the break-out year for business podcasting, particularly.

#2 Not everyone has time to read 4550 words

The average blog posts is approximately 700-words, which can can be read in about 5-minutes. However, the average podcast is 35-minutes which translates into 4,550 words, the equivalent of 6.5 blog posts.

Not only does this allow you to deliver more content to your audience, but it’s also delivered in a way that’s easy to consume.

And as a side note, if you’re not taking advantage of listening to podcasts during your drive to and from your place of work, or while taking a walk, or on a plane journey, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to leverage your time. 

#3 It’s easier to produce a consistent podcast, than blog posts

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.” ― Stephen King

Whoa! If the great Stephen King is saying there’s no shortcut to writing, then what does that mean for the rest of us?

The good news however is that podcasting allows you to create an amazing piece of content without having to go through countless revisions of your work. In fact, the more conversational and casual it is, the better it will connect with your audience.

That’s one of the biggest compliments I get about my podcast, Youpreneur FM – that it’s like a couple of friends talking in a pub, or over dinner.

But if you’d still like to clean up your audio after recording you can easily find an inexpensive editor on Upwork and have them take out any pauses or “ums” and “ers”.

#4 Podcasts are sticky

When someone decides to listen to a podcast they’ll usually listen to the entire show, and if they like it, there’s a good chance they may listen to another.

That’s a LOT of content!

What’s great about this is that they’ll either feel closer and resonate with your message, or they’ll decide this isn’t the right place for them, and that’s a good thing. The whole point of getting your voice out there is to attract and build the right audience for YOU and your business.

#5 Your personal brand will benefit

I’m a huge believer in building a personal brand, but having an impressive logo and catchy slogan will only qualify you as being average in today’s digital marketplace. What’s most important is that your business has a personality. And I can think of no better way to give your business a personality than by giving it your VOICE!

#6 Become an instant, welcomed guest

When someone listens to your podcast you’ve suddenly become the “invited guest” within their home or office. No different than sitting across from this listener and having a face to face meeting with their undivided attention. Yeah! That’s pretty powerful stuff.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge fan of email marketing, video marketing, and consistent content marketing (such as blog posts and infographics), but there’s nothing like the level of intimacy podcasting creates.

#7 Align yourself with successful people

If you choose to launch and grow a interview format podcast, all those guests you’ll be chasing down to have come on your show will make a difference to your overall brand, too.

The more successful people you have on your show from your industry, or niche, the closer aligned you’ll be seen to them and their success. Perception is key and is often very, very contagious.

#8 The on-going servicing of your existing audience

No matter how big or small your current audience I can guarantee they’re listening to podcasts.

So if they’re going out of they way to open your emails, read your blog posts and register for your webinars – why not service them with a podcast!

Not only will your podcast help form a deeper relationship, but it can also serve as a platform to spotlight members of your audience who are putting your teaching into practice. Some the best content you can create are case studies, which demonstrate that what you teach actually works. My buddy Pat Flynn does this better than almost everyone else I know.

#9 Develop your speaking skills 

I absolutely love speaking, but like anything else, speaking is a skill that needs to be developed. 

What’s great about podcasting is that it will allows you to continually work on your craft. It also helps you to build confidence in your speaking ability without needing the approving laughter, or applause from a live audience.

It can be a bit strange speaking to an invisible audience, but that same skill will help you deliver engaging and entertaining webinars, which is a skill every digital entrepreneur should be improving.

#10 Opportunity to repurpose content

Each of your podcast episodes can be repurposed into additional pieces of content.

Here’s a few ideas:

• Have your podcast transcribed and distilled into a single blog post with a call to action of listening to the entire show.
• Have the best points of your podcast turned into a 7-point, or 10-point infographic.
• Breakup a single podcast recording into 2 or 3 episodes. I highly recommend this if you have the opportunity to attract a popular guest on your show. Just make sure to communicate in advance to them that you plan on breaking it up into 2 or 3 shows that way the two of you can properly plan what to cover and where to break things up.
• Turn some of your most downloaded podcast episodes into Slide decks to share via social, or even into live presentations.
• The opportunities for repurposing are literally endless!

Start Podcasting with ‘Podcast Websites’ and Grab My FREE Bonus!

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Simply forward me your receipt via email and I will send you something that has helped THOUSANDS. An exclusive process blueprint.

How to Publish & Market a Podcast Successful (usually available to Youpreneur members only!) to ensure that you know exactly how to get the most out of your podcast. Time and time again!

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Creating something of value takes practice and patience. Remember that when you’re planning on starting a podcast.

Don’t make the mistake of expecting your first few episodes to be perfect, or to attract a lot of downloads.

The goal of your first few episodes should simply be to complete them (aka “ship your product”) and learn as much as you can from the process. With that mindset and approach, your following episodes will continue to improve in both delivery and content.

Trust me. Your audience will thank you for it. Mine does… every week.

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case!

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world!”

Those are the words of Archimedes, a famous Greek mathematician and inventor with an infamous obsession for innovation. And while his words may seem anecdotal, or appear to be written for inspirational intent, Archimedes was referring to a real principle; a principle which has the power to not only move the world, but can also empower a single entrepreneur with the ability to accomplish more than would seem humanly possible.

What Archimedes was referring to is the principle of leverage.

The Most Powerful Human Leveraging Tool

I believe habits are one of the most powerful (and free) tools an entrepreneur can enlist in while building a business, and as you may have already witnessed among friends, family and acquaintances, habits contain the seeds of both success and destruction.

This means…

• Enlist the wrong habits and your business will fail.
• Enlist the right habits, and your business will grow. Freakishly fast.

What I’d like to present you with today are five daily habits to grow your business that can give you enormous leverage within your entrepreneurial journey.

But before we dive in, allow me to give you a word of warning. The power of any habit is the consistency at which it is performed.  It’s not a one time thing, or a flurry of action. They are seemingly subtle actions which begin to build momentum and power over time. And faster than you think.

Here are five habits I suggest implementing – I doubt you’ll be upset at me for suggesting them to you!

Habit #1 – Create a Morning Routine

Benjamin Franklin said “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

But just getting up at the crack of dawn in and of itself will not make you rich or lower your blood pressure. It’s what you DO with those mornings that count.

During an interview on Youpreneur FM with Hal Elrod, author of the best-selling book The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM), Hal detailed his personal transformation that took place while studying and implementing morning rituals.

In case you haven’t read the book, or don’t know about Hal, his personal story takes you on a journey of both tragedy and triumph as he overcame personal death (he literally died for 6 minutes after being struck by a drunk driver) and then business setbacks, resulting in the loss of his home.

So what turned things around for Hal?

Things drastically changed the moment he decided to implement the habit he and countless others now refer to as The Miracle Morning. A set of six practices that sets up your day for success by taking control of the first hour of your morning. 

Hal breaks down these miracle morning practices into the acronym Life S.A.V.E.R.S. 

• Silence
• Affirmations
• Visualizations
• Excercise
• Reading
• Scribing (Writing)

But despite being very easy to begin implementing this list, what’s even more alluring is how FAST miracle morning practitioners are seeing results. Not only is the miracle morning helping entrepreneurs grow their business, but many people are also reporting that it’s completely changing their lives.

As Hal reminds us, a great life is built with great days, and great days begin by taking control of your mornings.

Be sure to listen to that episode with Hal on the podcast, and if you’re a Youpreneur Community member, you can check out his chit-chat on building a business around your book, which is excellent.

Habit #2 – Schedule What Matters Most 

If it doesn’t get scheduled, it doesn’t get done.  That’s an original “Ducker-ism”, which has been a personal secret to moving my business forward over the 10+ years that I’ve been an entrepreneur.

What works for me is using 30-minute chunks of time (sometimes longer), during which I schedule everything that will move my business forward – daily.

But before I give you my short list of items, I’d like to highlight the fact that it’s critical to schedule what matters most FIRST. Your time is extremely valuable and you’ve only got so much to work with each day so make sure it’s being invested in projects and opportunities that will make the biggest impact.

Here are a few of the tasks I schedule (along with tips for maximizing that time) on a regular basis:

• Clear and Concise Delegation: Having a team is one of the best ways to leverage your time. But if you’re unclear with the project and its objectives you’ll end up frustrating your team and dragging it out longer than it should be. Your team cannot read your mind. Put the time in to deliver a clear task with measurable ways for your team to know they’ve accomplished your objective.   

• Responding to emails: One of the best tips I can give is to be selective about which emails you respond to. Not all e-mails should require a reply. Pay attention to the type of emails you’re consistently getting. It may be a sign there’s a process missing in your business.

• Reaching out to people I’ve just met at conferences: I’m a huge believer in networking. But handshakes and business cards are only the first step. It’s what you do with those introductions that matter. Why not make it a goal to reach out and see what value you can offer to your newly acquired contact. This also means you must be selective about who you reach out to – since you’re planning to make a time investment.

• Brainstorming Ideas for podcasts: Creating a podcast and securing great guests doesn’t happen by accident. In fact, the easiest part of podcasting is recording the the thing! If this is a medium you plan on leveraging you’ll need to be deliberate about planning your show, booking your guests and doing your research before pressing record.

• Building Processes: Time spent on process building is one of the best uses of your time when building a business. But it’s not easy. There will always be something else nagging at your conscious that needs to be be done right-now! Just remember that the only way to create control – is to stay in control of your time. So set aside time for process building, it’s really the best way to deal with tomorrow’s emergencies.

Your list will be different depending on the type of business you’re in and the maturity of your business. The most important take away is that you identify the important moving parts and schedule them.

That’s the key to developing your own daily habits to grow your business.

Habit #3 – Focus on What You Can Control

The craziest things will happen while building a business, and since luck is a coin with two sides you’ll discover that both good and bad situations will come knocking. The most important thing, however is to remember that your job is to only focus on what you can control.

This means…

• Identify the tangible steps you can take each day towards achieving your business goals. It’s not enough just to list them.
• Don’t lose sleep over losing a large client. Instead, focus on ways you can consistently cultivate new opportunities.
• Meet setbacks with a “what do we need to do right now” mentality instead of complaining about what happened.
• Make it a habit of over-delivering for your clients. The day may come when a mistake is made and it will be helpful to have a reputation of over-delivery which helps ease any frustration and will cause your clients to give you the benefit of the doubt.

Now, does this mean you’ll be able to prevent anything bad from happening in the future?  No, unfortunately not.  The purpose of this habit is to give you mental relief when the storms of business do strike, and strike they will.  But that’s ok, you’ll soon discover that your biggest breakthroughs and innovations will come as a result of these unforeseen setbacks.  So stay focused on what you can control.

Habit #4 – Learn to Say ‘No’. Often!

This is tough one. As entrepreneurs our minds are built to find ways around obstacles, and to inspire people that anything’s possible. But in order to build a business you must be focused on the actions that will move your business forward. 

This is why learning to say no is important.  Steve Jobs put it this way, “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.”

So remember, when you say YES to something – you’re also saying NO to something else – and vice versa. Make sure you’re always saying YES to the right thing. 

Habit #5 – End Each Day with ‘Tomorrow’ on Paper

Along with creating a set of morning rituals (as outlined in Habit #1) I recommend ending each day with a brief planning session of what tomorrow will look like.

This planning session should take no more than 10-minutes and should include the following items:

Morning ritual time: Even if you’ve learned how to get yourself up on auto-pilot I still recommend writing down your protected morning time. This habit will reinforce the importance of this time, while also increasing the likelihood of you sticking to it.

Calendar: Are there any upcoming meetings for which you should start preparing for?

Your #1 priority item: If nothing else get’s done tomorrow except for one thing. What should it be? Once again, this doesn’t mean you should only do one thing tomorrow, but this is the one thing that must get done at all costs. And with that said, why not make that the first thing you work on.

Fires: What “fires” (aka. emergencies) need to be put out? Every business will have its fair share of setbacks to deal with, but if you can use them as an opportunity to improve your procedures & systems they can actually become a blessing. But that only happens if you take the time to identify your “fires,” source how they happened, and then see what could be put in place to prevent them from happening in the future.

Today’s Highlights: Every day should end with gratitude. Even if your entire day felt like a mess there’s always something you can find.  This practice will give you positive closure each day, which then sets up your next day for success. What you may also find is that you’ll start finding your days filled with more things to be thankful for. Coincidence? I think not. 

Learn to Love the Journey, My Friends!

Building a successful business is a journey. The business you have today may end up looking a lot different than what you had envisioned, and that’s okay. It’s fine. This is why it’s important to truly fall in love with the process of putting together you’re own personal daily habits to grow your business.

Be excited about what the future holds, but make sure to love the place you’re at today. Pivots will come and go – get used to ’em!

What did you think about the message in this post? Tweet me, or drop me a note on Facebook quickly – I’d love to know. If you have any entrepreneurial friends that you feel should read this, too, please share it with them. I’d appreciate it.

The online business landscape changes at a blistering pace and it is up to entrepreneurs to stay up-to-date with the latest tips, tactics and techniques if they want to stay ahead of the game! Events and conferences are the perfect way to blend work and meeting new people, but sometimes it can even be more than just that – sometimes it’s life-changing.

It’s this term, life-changing, that we hear from Tropical Think Tank attendees more than anything else, when we ask them to sum up their experience at the event.

Myself and my team have now held the event three years in a row, and we’ll be doing it again in March 2017, for a fourth time.

As well as just being life-changing, here are a few more reasons on how Tropical Think Tank can be a cornerstone in your entrepreneurial journey and the catalyst to take everything to the next level.

To get a feel of just how much of a ‘different’ event Tropical Think Tank is, check out this quick video, showing behind the scenes and more from the 2016 event:

1. Upgrade You & Your Business!

Being an entrepreneur means that you have to constantly keep your ear to the ground and update yourself on what is happening.  Attending events like TTT gives you the chance to see what new business ideas and strategies are out there and how you can apply them to your own business.

2. Get Up Close & Personal with Industry Influencers

One of the best perks of getting to attend events and conferences is the chance to meet industry influencers. Listening to podcasts and reading blogs are always helpful, but nothing really beats the real thing when (if you are lucky!) you get to sit and chat at length with a leader or an influencer in your industry. Tropical Think Tank offers an intimate beach setting where you get to spend a week meeting with these leaders, along with the chance to actually build real relationships with them.

3. Meeting Your Peers In Person

Entrepreneurs are definitely a different breed and it is always refreshing to meet someone as passionate and as driven as you are about business. These connections can help you with accountability, guidance or even as a sounding board for new ideas. The power of being around like-minded entrepreneurs can be a driving force behind helping you come up with a new process, or even product or service to launch to your community.

4. Promote and Sell Yourself

Now that you are with the right people, it’s time to share or promote what you and your business can offer. Get those business cards out and start networking. Meeting people in person and explaining what you are all about creates a more memorable impression for future possible collaborations – and we’ve seen a TON of them at TTT!

5. Get Feedback – Instantly!

Another benefit of attending live events is that it allows you to share what you are working on with other people. Entrepreneurs who work at home can use the chance to talk to other people, to help give them perspective. By bouncing ideas off of people who know the ins and outs of the industry, you can refine your idea based on their recommendations or experience, before that ever crucial launch and make the best possible first impression.

Next years line-up of expert speakers is just as powerful as our past events!

6. Refreshing Connections & Creating More

The ability to develop great connections online has gotten stronger lately, especially through social media and while staying in contact through Facebook or Twitter is convenient, there really is nothing like meeting your contacts face-to-face that can help cement those relationships. That’s what Tropical Think Tank is all about… add a tropical beach setting and an action-packed week with highly passionate entrepreneurs, and you should be all set to create new and awesome memories.

7. Renew Focus, Energy and Passion

It can be easy to get stuck in the same routine day-in and day-out, which is why attending conferences like TTT can help bring back enthusiasm and focus on what is important in your business. Using the information and ideas you glean during the sessions, the connections you have established along the way, not to mention the inspiration from both peers and leaders alike, can help empower your business.

8. Taking Action is What It’s ALL About!

Sessions at conferences are always full of strong and valuable content that you can use in your businesses though sometimes we get stuck in the planning stage and never manage to put everything into motion. Tropical Think Tank encourages taking action – through its 30 Day Action exercise, its own private FB group where you can report for accountability and the TTT Alumni Program where previous attendees show what can be achieved in just 12 months time.

9. Have Fun, Fun, Fun!

After all the travel and exchanging of ideas during the keynote sessions, everyone deserves to unwind and have fun. The TTT 2016 week has fun activities planned from hanging by the beach with cool cocktails and heading out to sea on our special chill-out boats, right down to our now famous White Party (pictured below) finale so that we make sure you get the most out of your trip.

10. Lots of ‘Bang For Your Buck’

Taking the time out to travel all the way to the Philippines for Tropical Think Tank is definitely an investment which is why we want to make sure we bring you as much value as we can. Our expert speakers deliver valuable content, mastermind groups with like-minded entrepreneurs allow you to brainstorm and plan for growth and capping off every night with the chance to network with attendees and speakers – all against a beautiful tropical backdrop, seals the deal!

These are just a few things that you can expect to gain from attending a week-long event of business, networking and fun under the sun. Don’t miss your chance to take part in a game-changing week for your business – even though tickets have only been on sale for a few weeks, we’re almost sold out.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LOTS MORE IN-DEPTH INFO AND TO RESERVE YOUR SLOT AT THE 2017 EVENT… TODAY!

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24 hour days” – Zig Ziglar

This quote usually puts things in perspective for me, especially when I find myself trying to focus and get work done. As entrepreneurs, it can be all too so easy to be bogged down by the daily distractions of running a business – especially one that’s online.

And as an online business owners you must be doing everything to boost your daily productivity, and maximize your time ‘at work’.

How many times have you answered an unexpected Skype call, or attended an impromptu meeting and found yourself with barely anything checked off your to-do list by mid-afternoon, because you’ve been ‘pulled’ towards the bells and whistles of Facebook , or Twitter?

It’s these little distractions that can cause you to lose focus and they also make it difficult for you to shift gears and restart a task all over again.

This is why I am such a huge fan of batching tasks. Now, this isn’t a new concept, this has been around for quite a while under different other names like the Pomodoro Technique, batch processing, etc.

However, by using this time-management strategy, you’ll be able to boost your daily productivity and take everything you’re doing to the next level, as it’ll get you clearing out those large chunks of work, such as recording podcast episodes, getting to email inbox zero and creating new blog content, in just a few hours – instead of hopping on and off the task over a period of days, or even worse… weeks!

In this video, which was recorded live as I presented training on this topic, via Periscope, you’ll see me deep dive into lots of different ways you can use batching to become uber productive.

It doesn’t matter what the task is, batching has definitely changed the game for me.

Not just by increasing my productivity levels, but becomes I’m more focused when I’m working, it’s also increased my free time – which means a three-day weekend (I haven’t worked a Friday for over 3-years!) that I can devote to some quality family time.

It’s this focus on learning how to boost your daily productivity as an entrepreneur that you should be consistently working on. It’s a cycle that should never end. There are only so many hours in each day, and we should never get too busy making a living that we forget to make a life.

Enjoy this video training? I’d love to hear from you. Please drop me a tweet, or a quick message on my Facebook Page!

And, as always, if you know someone that might benefit from this post, please do share it with them – they won’t be mad at you for providing them value. Promise!

I have to admit, it’s a pretty exciting time for us entrepreneurs nowadays. There always seems to be a new idea, social media platform or tool to discover, to help us get our brands and businesses heard.

While it’s always a great feeling to work on new ideas and strategies, it’s also important to pull back sometimes and focus on the basics. Namely, making sure that building your email list should still be a top priority. As my good friend Amy Porterfield always says, “the energy of your business is directly tied to the strength of your email list”.

This is where creating a high converting optin offer comes into play. That key piece of content you offer your audience so that you can build your email list. But where do you start and how do you make sure that your lead magnet is strong enough to make it a no-brainer for your visitors to sign-up?

I go into this, and much more in this short video presentation. Watch it below, now.

Creating a high-quality and personalized piece of content takes more than just a quick write-up or recording and uploading it. Do this right, and it’ll pave the way for many months (if not years!) to come.

Take the time to plan and execute it properly, to make sure that you have a strong first impression on offer, to turn those website visitors into life-long fans. Think of it like this… create an optin offer so strong that you could put a price tag of at least a couple of hundred dollars. Then give it away for free.

A perfect companion to this video lesson is for you to listen into Episode 118 of Youpreneur.FM, where I sit down with my good friend and email marketing rockstar, Greg Hickman, to discuss exactly how to build a high-converting email funnel, to maximize every optin you receive. You can also check out this sweet infographic, too.

What did you think of this post? I’d love to hear from you. Please drop me a tweet, or a quick message on my Facebook Page! And, as always, if you know of someone that might benefit from seeing this, please do share it with them – they won’t be mad at you for providing them value. Promise!

Keep your promises, tell the truth and take responsibility for your mistakes.

Yeah, I know… this sounds like the advice your parents and grandparents repeated to you as a child. Right up there with “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”, or “Wash your hands before dinner”. However, the reality is that simple wisdom like this has never been more needed in the business world.

Especially within the growing sub-culture of digital entrepreneurs who are building massive audiences with people they’ll probably never meet the majority of in ‘real life’. Never before has there been a generation so connected to others, while simultaneously being self-centered – think about it. And it’s even more important to think about it, if you’re driving change and influence.

We care about trivial things like how many strangers ‘follow’ us and ‘like’ us on social media platforms, while neglecting to be punctual and respectful towards the people we actually know – I’ve had many podcasters invite me on their shows, only to either be late for our appointment, or stand me up… becoming complete no-show’s.

It’s easy to call yourself an Entrepreneur. But can you call yourself a professional?

I believe the answer to that question will separate those that thrive, from those that struggle to get by.

In my opinion, never before has being seen as a professional been more important. Not only because of its ability to form good character, but also because it makes up the very DNA of ‘Professionalism’ – a habit which every entrepreneur has the duty to perform… especially if they wish to become, or remain influential and successful.

What is Entrepreneurial Professionalism?

Well, for starters, being a professional has nothing to do with following items:

• Having a certain level of education (like a MBA).
• Making a specific amount of money.
• Being the best in your industry.
• Being well known, or famous.

None of that is required to become a professional.

You could have a ‘fruit and veg’ stall in any Central London market and still carry yourself as a professional.

It really boils down to conducting yourself in a way that shows you respect yourself, your business and the people you interact with and serve.

That’s what separates the amateurs from the professionals.

And since this type of behavior has no prerequisites (other than committing to be professional), there’s no reason why every entrepreneur should neglect this habit.

Why Entrepreneurial Professionalism Matters in Today’s New Economy

U.S. labor data is predicting that by the year 2020, over 40% of the U.S. population will either be a full-time freelancer, or involved in some sort of freelancing to supplement their income (study by Intuit 2020 report).

This is the ‘New’ economy many authors and entrepreneurs have been speaking about for years (myself included). A time when men and women have the opportunity to take control of their destiny and build a business. But with this opportunity comes great responsibility.

For anyone with the aspiration to become their own brand and build a business based around that brand and what it stands for, they must embrace professionalism as a way of life.

Why? Because choosing otherwise will only serve to benefit your competitor who does!

It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out, or if you’ve been in business for years. Every person who wishes to be seen and respected as an influencer in their market, or niche is responsible for being professional.

With this in mind, I formally present to you, five habits you must implement in order to call yourself a professional.

#1 – Professional Entrepreneurs Keep Their Word

This is one of the biggest problems I’ve seen (and experienced) among entrepreneurs. Someone says they’ll do ‘XYZ’ task for you, or call you at a certain time, or send you a specific email, but then cancels last minute or simply flakes out, only to explain a few days later how busy they were.

But here’s the deal, being ‘busy’ is not an excuse for missing deadlines, or not delivering on promises. A professional does whatever it takes to keep their word and fulfil their promises (no matter how small they are). It’s plain common courtesy and it’s something that is slowly disappearing – we’ve got to bring it back as a focus of modern day entrepreneurship.

That means…

• You may need to pull an all-nighter to finish a project. Yes, I know sleep is important, but a professional would rather lose sleep, then have someone lose confidence in their word. It will also serve as a lesson to yourself to not take on more than you can handle. Losing sleep is not fun, and the groggy feeling you have the next day will remind you to not bite off more than you can chew.

• You shouldn’t over-promise in order to impress someone, or to make a sale. This is the fastest way to destroy your reputation.

• You need to start getting into the habit of saying ‘no’ more often. Saying ‘yes’ to everything will fill your plate and boost stress levels. Remember, when you say ‘yes’ to something, you instantly say ‘no’ to something else.

#2 – Professional Entrepreneurs Respect Their Own Time

You’ll find that some of the most successful people have more free time and grow their business faster than people who are always busy. At first glance you may think “When I become successful, I’ll have more time!” but, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

In fact, it’s the other way around… when you free up more time, you’ll become successful. And this only happens by valuing your time.

After all, time IS our most valuable commodity, as entrepreneurs, as I went into detail on in this past post.

When a professional begins valuing their time, it means they’ll begin making changes in how their manage their time, as well as making the most out of the time they have each day. For example:

• Saying ‘yes’ to only high impact activities and projects (this requires more long-term thinking).
• Preparing, or requiring an agenda for any meetings they take on.
• Charging what their time is worth – and not feeling bad about it.
• Saying goodbye to multitasking, instead focusing on building a team.
• Being super punctual for appointments.
• Identifying and distancing themselves from time vampires, such as people who want to ‘pick your brain’.

#3 – Professional Entrepreneurs Remain Cool Under Pressure

There are two things I can 100% guarantee. The first is that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. And the second is that you will face trials and setbacks in business.

J Paul Getty, one of the richest men who ever lived gave the following advice in his book “How To Be Rich”:

“The successful businessman – the true business leader – is the individual who develops the ability to retain his composure in times of stress and in the face of setbacks!”

Maintaining composure not only gives you the ability to make better decisions, but it also sets a proper example to your family, staff and anyone you do business with.

This is a habit you must begin implementing immediately. It might not come naturally to you, but I have seen great strides in people that I’ve worked with, just because they focused in on this as a habit that they were passionate about forming and developing.

#4 – Professional Entrepreneurs ‘Own’ Their Mistakes

No matter how professional you are, you will make mistakes.

I embrace screwing up! Sincerely. It’s a learning game that I have no problem playing. I chase down opportunities to learn, by making mistakes.

Some will be because of good, old-fashioned negligence, while others will be complete accidents. But either way they must be acknowledged.

Yes, it’s embarrassing to be called out on a mistake. But what’s worse is to act as if nothing happened. This doesn’t mean you can’t move on, of course you have to move on. It’s a simple, three step process and something we all need to get better at, if we want to build our brands and businesses in a highly-respected manner:

• Acknowledge the mistake.
• Apologize for making it.
• Amend it and move on.

#5 – Professional Entrepreneurs Value Their Reputation

This is the big one. The one that’ll separate the ‘men from the boys’ so to speak (and the ladies from the girls, obviously!).

Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “The way to BE nothing, is to DO nothing!”

I love that quote. It reminds me that what you DO matters. It matters the moment I do it, immediately after, and months (if not years!) later.

Yes, you can have big goals and a winner’s mindset, but unless that translates into action – it’s worthless.

A true professional understands that their reputation is far more important than their monthly profit and loss statement. Yes, we all want to grow a grow a profitable business, but not on the back of ‘dodgy’ actions.

Instead, do it right, and for the right reasons:

• Stand by your refund process (even if a request comes in on day 29 of the 30 day period).
• Put a premium on the importance of over-delivering on customer service.
• Refunding overpayments – this is a major trust builder.
• Conduct yourself appropriately at networking happy hours (many reputations have been lost because of alcohol!).
• Represent your experience (or lack of experience) correctly.
• Keep your word – no matter how small the promise.

Final Thoughts on Professionalism in Entrepreneurship

Remember what I always say…

Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not around. When you’re not at that coffee meetup, or that big conference, or on that mastermind call… how do you want your prospects, peers, friends, team members and customers to talk about you?

That’s your brand!

All of this comes back to embracing a professional mindset. It’s not that hard to simply ‘do things better’. With a little planning, execution and genuine passion to get it done the right way, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a more professional entrepreneur – and the benefits WILL come your way.

What did you think of the message within the post? I’d love to know. Please tweet me, or drop me a message on Facebook. If you have entrepreneurial friends that you feel should read this, too – please share it with them. I’d greatly appreciate it!