One of the number one reasons small businesses fail is because the owner waits too long. S/he keeps waiting for permission to do things, like get their ass out there and network, or create that new program, or pick up the phone and call someone and ask for business.
When I had my latest essay published in the Boston Globe, I took that essay and sent it to several libraries and got writing gigs there. Poof. Just like that.
It took me many years to get comfortable being “forward,” “aggressive,” or whatever other negative term people choose to dissuade people from taking action.
Today, just picking up the phone and contacting someone is taking action since so many are afraid to do that. Why are we afraid to contact someone? When I worked at a corporation, I had people call me up and ask for work. It took a few tries, but after several conversations, I’d invite those people in and often I did choose them as the vendor.
If they had not called, I wouldn’t have known they existed. I became friends with one person who “cold called me” until he died. He helped me get my first logo design job when I opened my own business.
People should not be afraid of talking to people on the phone they do not know when it comes to promoting their businesses.
I remember when I first opened my business, I spent like 8 months working on my web site. I didn’t really get out there because I was hiding behind my need for this web site to be perfect. It just needed a few more tweaks or twaks and then, and THEN I can go out there.
Nah, I was afraid to go out there, to put myself out there in there-land.
I swear that we are afraid of things we should not be afraid of (Spreading the word about our biz) and not afraid of things we should be afraid of (living a frightened life.)
All I can suggest is that when you feel unworthy to market your business or feel that you are being too pushy, take those feelings and dump them in the trash can. Most of us are so far from being too pushy that it would take a 300% increase in pushiness to actually be verifiably pushy.
Where do you seek permission from someone to do something that will enhance your own business?