This piece was written in celebration of National Small Business Week Lifestyle entrepreneurship is on the rise and for good reason. We have more opportunity than ever before to be able to create an amazing income while working on a business that we are passionate about. You may ask yourself “What is a lifestyle entrepreneur?” Well, let me tell you! It is someone who designs a business that focuses more on life experience than profits and growth. I recently spent over a year in New Zealand building an international business and living out my dream of being a lifestyle entrepreneur. Here are four principles that I used to grow my business while loving every single moment of it! 1. Essentialism (Let’s Simplify) 2. Focus on balance in life and business (Find Your Inner Zen) 3. Leverage & scale your business (Stop being addicted to being busy) 4. Surround yourself with other amazing entrepreneurs (Eliminate energy vampires) Bottom line, Lifestyle entrepreneurs understand that quality of life is better than quantity of hours. Lifestyle entrepreneurs understand that life and work balance is key and actually practice it. Lifestyle entrepreneurs are breaking free and setting the new standard. Are you in? ___________________________________________________________________ We want to hear about your journey! Follow Marketing Co-op on Twitter or visit www.mktco-op.com and share using #getitdonegals!
Doing less while generating income. The key is to keep things simple. Often times we think we have to offer tons of services and be everything to everyone. If you step back and ask yourself what you are best in the world at and focus on that while giving tremendous value, the income will flow. How? By getting very clear on your services and who you are serving. Do less, focus on what you do best, and charge what you are worth (It really is that simple).
When you are passionate about your business and making amazing income from it, it is hard to not fall back into the routine of work, work, work. The most important thing is to keep focused on why you created a lifestyle business. Schedule in the days off, schedule in a massage, a walk, a phone call to your mom or friend without any stress around it. Make these activities the new normal. As you grow your business make sure to build a solid team and delegate what you are not best in the world at (that’s right, let go, hire the best, and focus on what you love doing every single day)! And if you ever doubt the necessity of scheduling days off? Well you have to show up as your best self so your business can be its best self, do what you need to do for YOU, your business is counting on you!
Most of us have been trained to work 8-5 Monday through Friday and bonus points if we work 80 hour weeks. This is no longer the status quo. You don’t have to be busy for the sake of being busy. Let’s get real – as an entrepreneur you need to make money not be “busy.” Many lifestyle entrepreneurs are adventurers whether they are into travel, sports, or simply freedom to design their own schedule. To build a sustainable business that supports your new life, you need to create automation in your systems and leverage your business to create passive and amazing income. How do you do this? Only focus on money generating activities and eliminate the busy work. Busy doesn’t equal successful!
Living out this type of entrepreneurship is contagious and you need the support as you transition. Making sure to surround yourself with others on this journey as well as having the best mentors and coaches. This will help you create the life you desire. If I didn’t have my coaches and mentors as I transitioned into this new lifestyle, I would still be struggling. And make sure to eliminate anyone that isn’t supportive of your new found lifestyle and dreams! This is a challenge, but you don’t need those energy vampires around trying to suck a away your dreams!
Nicole Lombardo is a success coach and co-founder of Marketing Co-op, an online marketing firm helping women in business who struggle with marketing and business overwhelm to get clear, get strategic and get moving to grow their business online so that they can get results.
[May 4-8], which highlights the impact of outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners around the country and recognizes their accomplishments and contributions.
