As a new entrepreneur, I struggle with many things that I didn't have to experience in a corporate environment. How do I price my services, for instance? As a coach, trainer, and facilitator, knowing how to initially price services based on industry and my experience has felt like a moving target. I just negotiated a contract with a corporation and afterwords felt like I could have asked for more money. My confidence is directly related to my rate, I've noticed. If I am feeling especially confident, I price myself high, but if I am feeling like my work is under appreciated or it's an area I haven't worked in before, then I tend to price myself low. It's definitely a journey.
Something that I do think I'm good at as an entrepreneur is not to just accept every offer that comes my way. There is a tendency in the beginning to want to take every piece of work that is thrown at me. I received some really great advice from one of my mentors. She said that if I operate from a place of 'abundance versus lack' then the right opportunities will come my way. I have turned down some jobs that I felt like would be taking a step back in my career in hopes that another opportunity would come my way. And, so far, that has been the case. When I say 'no' to one opportunity, I am saying 'yes' to something else. It's also worked in my personal life. When I had to make the tough decision to end a start up business last year, I was standing my ground to say that I didn't want to go any further or get in further debt than I already had, I was saying 'yes' to focusing back on my training and coaching business. That other business was taking time and energy away from what I loved. Even though, it was a great experience and I learned a lot, I realized how much I do enjoy developing people and helping others achieve their best.
By saying 'yes' to that business, meant that I was saying, 'no' for the moment to building my other business. Was that really what I wanted?
Recently, I stepped out into the dating scene again and the same has become true for me. The men that I have said 'no' to have allowed me to say 'yes' to someone else who more closely matches my needs and wants.
How often throughout this journey I have had to refocus on my goals versus taking what is immediately available. What are you saying, 'yes' to?
