As a small business marketing coach, I know and live my entrepreneur clients’ thoughts intimately. If life were like a cartoon, we’d have thought bubbles over our heads where our secret thoughts reside. Luckily very few people I’ve met are mind readers because some of those secret thoughts are pretty bad.  Here’s a lighter look at those secret thoughts that keep us up at night.
1. Do I look/sound stupid?
Entrepreneurs are often their own employee and boss. (This is why you need a coach!) They have nobody objective and knowledgeable to bounce ideas off of on an ongoing basis. This leaves them constantly wondering about whether their proposal was off or their pitch was worded wrong. We don’t know what we don’t know and we don’t know what makes us look and sound stupid when we’re in our own head.
2. Will she become a client?
Every conversation entrepreneurs have, whether in the bathroom lineup (happened to me!) or with a new Facebook ‘like’ has the potential to turn into a client. So if you’re speaking to a business owner, you can bet they’ll be thinking of you as potential client material whether directly or through who you know.
3. Am I going to starve?
No matter whether an entrepreneur is making $10K a week or $1K, this is the secret thought that plagues all small business owners. When the entire business is dependent on getting new clients in the pipeline, this is a constant source of worry for entrepreneurs.
4. Is this a waste of money?
Every penny counts for a small business. As a marketing coach, I’ve seen my share of wasted money on bad marketing BEFORE I’ve taken my clients in hand. I know that entrepreneurs wonder each and every day if they’re wasting their money by spending it on campaigns or services that don’t bring in clients or change their business significantly.
5. Should I just go get a job?
At the darkest hour, many an entrepreneur has had this very secret thought. Having my own business is the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced in my professional life of 20 years. Everything starts and ends with you. Even on vacation or in bed, you’re constantly thinking about how to get more clients. A job is so much easier. You go in, you clock out and you get paid. In some jobs, you never need to go outside of your comfort zone. In a job, your pay cheque is guaranteed (for most people).
So if you’re an entrepreneur and you have these secret thoughts, rest easy-you are not alone and yes, you are normal. The real difference between those who think these thoughts and still succeed with those who don’t is that the successful entrepreneurs get help. They have a solid plan to get to their dreams. Don’t get a job. Get help.
Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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