Building confidence as a small business owner

exploring The building blocks of business confidence

These last few years have been hard on everyone's mental health. Whether or not you and yours have been physically, financially or otherwise impacted by the global crisis, none of us have been able to escape the constant drip feed of worry. It is stressful and it is hard and it feels overwhelming.

Have we all had to take some absolutely massive breaths? Yep!

Have we all had monumental wobbles, crisis of confidence and moments of just not knowing what to do next? Also, Yep!

Sadly, there is very little that any of us can do to shield ourselves from the circumstances that will batter our confidence. However, building resilience to this battering, and developing strategies that will build your confidence, is achievable.

The building blocks of business confidence

1. Seek support: Find a way to get support from, and connect with, fellow creatives, similar businesses or companies of one. A supportive community can be a lifeline for sharing ideas, celebrating successes, and venting worries.

2. Embrace downtime: Recognise the little moments away from your business as opportunities to shed new light on old ideas. Your body might be busy folding laundry or washing the dishes, but your brain can be busy working out what's next.

3. Prioritise self-care: Your wellbeing matters. Put your body first, even when your inbox is bulging. Walk for 10 minutes around the garden or loosen up those tight shoulders with a couple of yoga stretches - the deadlines won't be met quicker by a stiff and confused body and mind.

4. Honour your cycle and energy: Working with your cycle and acknowledging that there are times when we are less outgoing or more risk adverse is a huge boost to your confidence. Learn to embrace saying "I'll look at this again in a couple of weeks."

5. Build in creative time: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! Give yourself time to do the things that make your brain light up and it might illuminate those hard to reach solutions.

6. Take up space: Remember you have the tools and the right to take up space in your own life, diminishing your needs and worth benefits no-one (how does you being squashed serve those around you?).

The past year has tested our mental health, causing stress and doubt. While external circumstances may challenge our confidence, building resilience is possible. The building blocks of business confidence include seeking support, embracing downtime, prioritising self-care, honouring your energy, making time for creativity, and taking up space. These empower us to explore, create, and confidently share our unique talents. Embrace these building blocks and unlock a future marked by resilience, creativity, and self-assurance.

How do you build confidence as a business owner? I’d love to talk to you more about it in the comments.

With love,

Laura x

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If you enjoyed reading this blog post, here’s a few more that you may find useful for your creative small business:

1. Learning to be organised in your creative business

2. Finding balance and productivity in business: a personal journey

3. Enhancing coaching, mentoring and teaching with effective strategies