Are you holding yourself back?

It comes as no surprise to discover that women are starting businesses at double the rate of men these days. I believe there are two key reasons for this phenomenon.Firstly, the wonders of the digital age have removed many of the previous financial barriers to entry to the world of business ownership. We can now serve clients right across the globe as the “Expert Age” descends upon us.Secondly, a great number of us have a change of heart about the way we work when we have children. Suddenly the corporate career that offered many perks, but also demanded much of us, is no longer as appealing or even possible to continue. For younger women, there is a trailblazing path of women who have swapped employment for enterprise to be inspired by.The entrepreneurial spirit asserts itself, we take a deep breath, square our shoulders and plunge headfirst into the world of running our own business.So many emotions are stirred up. Excitement. Anticipation. Exhilaration. Relief. Apprehension. Fear. Overwhelm. Often we are redirecting the talents that we honed in the corporate world or turning our hobbies, interest and passions into businesses and there is a whole new set of skills to develop as we make the transition. Online marketing, networking, pricing and packaging, referral and loyalty programs and more – it can be a long list!Fortunately, there are many support networks that connect entrepreneurs on this adventure. The internet makes possible so many opportunities to unite like minded women and there are a plethora of networking events and seminars and training programs that can equip us for our business journeys.However, as much as we can increase our skills in what we do and how we deliver our products and services, there is one key area that many of us overlook, or avoid addressing. And that is our mindset. Your outside world is a direct reflection of your inside world and that fact can have a significant impact on the success of your business.If you judge business success on in strictly financial terms, it seems that our insides might need rejuvenating! Research on female entrepreneurs, especially in the service area, is hard to find, but the last relevant survey by the ABS in 2006 revealed that only 6% of women business owners were generating more than $100,000pa, and in fact for more than 75%, that figure was less than $60,000 a year. A great many new businesses have been launched since then, but have these figures significantly changed? I suspect not.We start our businesses for freedom, flexibility and often the desire to make a difference. And the risks, effort, perseverance and initiative that we need to demonstrate as entrepreneurs, the specialty services that we often provide, deserve a far better return to us.I have worked with a great many women in the last eight years and I have found that it is common for us to doubt our value and this is reflected in our tendency to to hold back on setting prices that reflect the true value of the outcomes that we deliver. Whilst this is naturally not true of every female entrepreneur, it is a rare individual who does not experience “the voice inside” that niggling, often rather noisy voice that makes us question our ability and our visionSelf-doubt, or if you prefer, a tentative mindset, can constrain your business growth and success just as surely as a lack of good marketing or a lack of capital investment. For women to step up and into their full business potential, it is vital that any negative or limiting beliefs that may be holding them back are uncovered and resolved.This is a hot topic and there are many avenues to explore when looking for ideas to improve or enhance your mindset including NLP and meditation. The first step however, is awareness that there is a gap between what you want to achieve, and what you feel you can. Once you have awareness and a strong desire to close that gap, you are on your way and can begin to research and adopt the tools that work best for you.