Overcoming your fear is one of the most difficult hurdles of starting a business. Starting a new business is such a leap of faith that it can scare the wits out of you; more so when you are leaving the comfort and security of a salaried employee. Add to that the fact that we are in a recession, where starting a business can be so daunting with bad news left and right.
Donald Trump, in his article Confronting Your Fears advises that
An antidote to fear is as simple as problem solving. Whether you have investing, estate planning, or running a business on your mind, or all of those things, they can be broken down into units of thought and dealt with in an orderly manner. It’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle — you need to find the right place for each piece of the puzzle until the whole is apparent.
Robin Fisher-Roffer, author of the book The Fearless Fish Out of Water: How To Succeed When You’re The Only One Like You, recommends 7-steps to overcome fear when starting a business:
- Focus on what you do better than anyone else and put that out there to your customers and prospects.
- Use the strengths of what makes you different to make a difference with your customers.
- Build relationships so that you can anchor yourself in these rough seas.
- Stay true to your core values.
- Put Yourself Out on the Line
- Holding onto the essential you while updating your style, your website, your advertising
and your thinking is the fastest way to the top. - Practice your ABCs—action, belief, and courage
