The fact that you have nurtured your idea into an entrepreneurial reality and are already on the way to building up what will hopefully become an extremely successful business, should be a huge confidence boost. It’s a testament to your business acumen, intelligence and determination to invest in what you believe in. You should be brimming with pride!
However, for some business owners – no matter how thriving – self-confidence can become a bit of a stumbling block. In severe cases, low confidence levels can impact important client relationships and have consequences on things like profit, brand image and the attraction and retention of staff.
Particularly when you’re the owner of a startup or a small venture where those ‘at the top’ are still very much ‘hands-on’, colleagues look up to you as a leader. They expect dependence, reassurance and morale from you so it’s important that you exude confidence and take self-help measures if this is a concept you find yourself struggling with.
With this in mind, we’ve collated a few pieces of handy advice to help you grow your self-confidence as a business owner…
Speak to other people in your position
Whether it’s catching up with industry friends or attending regular networking events to make contact with other likeminded business owners, speak to as many people in a similar professional situation to you as you can.
Take advice from those who also struggle with self-confidence and take inspiration from those you admire or aspire to be more like.
Brush up on your industry knowledge
As the famous saying goes – knowledge is power and power is a fast track to a surge in confidence so make sure you’re continually learning.
Attend seminars, read books, speak to those who have done it before you, surf the internet until you’ve read every single article the World Wide Web has to offer on your niche. That way, you can walk into meetings and presentations with more confidence in what you know and what you do.
Remember – comparison is a confidence killer
Everybody is at different stages in their career paths and nobody’s entrepreneurial journey is the same so it really is useless comparing yourself to others. Rather than pitching yourself against other people’s milestones, try setting yourself personal and realistic goals that you can work towards instead.
Give yourself a pat on the back every now and again
Last but not least – remember to celebrate all of your successes. You’re quick to reward your staff when they achieve highly but do you do the same for yourself? Don’t be afraid to give yourself a pat on the back and appreciate when you’ve done something well.
Do you have any of your own tips on how to gain confidence as a business owner? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or let us know via Twitter or Facebook to help other entrepreneurs looking for advice.
