Ivy Sea Online: Conscious entrepreneurs and 'the money thing'

I hear a lot from entrepreneurs about challenges with and fears about money, prosperity, revenues, profits, fruitful marketing strategies, and related issues.

This is understandable, given that most small-business people have in some way experienced the economic challenges of the 2000-2005 timeframe, much less the usual business cycles of sustained entrepreneurship. I hear it from just about everyone right now — particularly vision-centered and right-livelihood entrepreneurs.

Surely, the 'revenue thing' brings up all kinds of opportunities to clarify vision and thinking; release limiting patterns, habits, thinking, beliefs; and just 'come current' with more conscious, productive perspective and action. This is just one of many reasons that our businesses (or jay-oh-bees) are our teachers, as well as our livelihood vehicles!

I say this from personal experience, having surfed my way in, out, over, and through my share of economic cycles and challenges since starting my business in 1992.

Insider Insights...

Quite a few times over the course of my entrepreneurial experience, I've been reminded to break out of 'paycheck mentality', 'old-phase thinking', or myopic thinking, and adopt a clear perspective that is more appropriate to my current business model, vision, goals and reality.

With my own business, I've worked for several years to radically pare down overhead expenses, while allowing everything that is necessary for me to work optimally. I don't want to have expenses that are not purposeful or providing value and return for the current vision, goals, and model of my business.

And I know that my specific business model is best served by a quarterly, semi-annual, and annual revenue 'lens' or perspective, whereas a weekly or monthly view may be necessary for another type of business/revenue model.

Also, if I'm focusing on minimum-revenue goals that are actually appropriate to an old model or former phase of my business — one that had a much greater overhead, for example — then I'm going to get stuck in thinking I don't have enough when in fact I'm well-exceeding current overhead expenses with revenues.

If this occurs, then I'm not only creating undue pressures and anxieties, but I'm probably directing resources — time, energy, money, and thought — away from what's truly powerful and towards what may not be relevant. Worse, the 'lack' thought-patterns don't do me any favors when it comes to positive, creative, forward-momentum.

These issues and examples are common to many business owners, whether SoloPreneurs or SOHO-enterprise owners.

Purposeful, Powerful Inquiry

If you're wanting more income — more robust revenues and profit-margin — then you need to be clear on:

(1) why, and what in particular you're needing it for (which is basically to help ensure that it's not rooted in an old model or belief);
(2) how much you would like to see coming in, assuming that it's vision and purpose aligned and clear;
(3) how that compares to your current scenario (revenues, overhead, strategies in motion, etc.), and then
(4) what approaches, strategies, goals and activities will open pathways for or help create that increase in in-coming, in a way that is vision and purpose aligned.

And, of course, the biggest question — the foundation for all of the others — is: Are you clear on a current, powerful, energizing sense of your vision, purpose and mission?

There are several key factors that are important to consider, but by revisiting the answers to these questions, you take an important step to help bring your thinking — and your 'conscious enterprising' — out of the past and into the flow!

How do these issues and questions play out for you in your endeavors and enterprise? Find out more with a personal consultation. Vision our Sessions & Dialogues section to see which consultation option is most beneficial for you!