Let me tell you, I was going to write this blog post about the 10 must-have apps for entrepreneurs but I changed my mind! đ€Ș I guess I'm hoping many of you can relate to this as coaches and solopreneurs running your own small business. Which you are a rockstar for doing and I massively applaud you! đ
But running a small business can be pretty tough, right? One crazy rollercoaster of a ride if I'm being honest. đą đ„” You are the one in charge. You are the one who is in control. You are the one people look at to lead them. You are the one who for the most part handles all the things. You are the one navigating where to go. You are the one who has to make the final decisions. Whoa, ALL THE THINGS. Why? Because it's YOUR business. đ©âđ»
It is a GOOD thing though, because I repeat, it is YOUR business. YOU own a business! Something most won't even consider or try. đ
With that said... đ„
Let me ask you this:
đ§ Do you ever get requests for resources that are not within the scope of what you offer as a wellness coach?
Quick Example :: Maybe your niche is more nutrition and so you don't offer workouts but a client wants an entire laid out exercise program for 60 days. Or you are a personal trainer specializing mainly in fitness but your client wants a custom keto meal plan set at a certain calorie range.
đ§ Do you ever get asked to do tasks that are not included in the price point of your program or membership?
Quick Example :: Maybe your low membership price point only includes a quick 20 minute daily workout, a set of healthy recipes and one live coaching session but your client wants daily workouts customized for their knee injury and a 4 week menu that is gluten-free, dairy-free along with a budget friendly shopping list.
đ§ Do you ever get asked to change the way you run your business in order to cater to only one person or just a handful of people?
Quick Example :: You have a client who just isn't into technology and wants all the posts from your group sent to her personal email. Or you have a client who doesn't like the recipes in PDF and would rather have them in Word. Or maybe you are a Christian who posts Bible Verses as inspiration and a non-Christian client would also like you to include motivational quotes too.
If you answered YES to even just one of the questions...
I am here to tell you today that you can say NO to those requests. I want you to know you have permission to say NO. You can't possibly agree to do everything. đ„Ž AND you may not be in a place to delegate or hire a new team member to help you either. That takes time and money, right? đ€
Your business is YOUR business. YOU get the say in how you run it and in what you want to do and love to offer. đŻ You are also not alone in constantly fielding requests like these. We, along with a lot of other entrepreneurs get them too. đ
NO. -- N...O... -- It is a tiny two-letter word that is actually quite powerful. đŠžââïž We're often taught that saying no is a negative thing. I'll be the first to say, I have struggled so hard with it. đ I often feel bad to have to say no and I want to drop everything to take care of our members. đ I wonder if they will hate me, get mad at me or cancel. I am learning to be better at knowing what I can and cannot do. It can take a HUGE mental, emotional and financial toll to continuously try to please every member. Saying no doesn't mean I don't want to or don't like them. It's because realistically I know that it's not in my capacity to spread myself thin or burn myself out trying to say yes to every request from a membership of hundreds of people. We cannot realistically take on too many things and do them all WELL. Would you rather have quality over quantity in your business, yeah? đ
Saying no IS a form of self-care. đ We often have the tendency to put others' objectives in front of our own. NOT saying no (when appropriate) is unfair to ourselves. We are not able to show up fully for our clients when we are stressed out with work and trying to do all the things. When we assess the situation and decide if we need to decline the task, saying no can help to build your self-esteem and confidence, because you are setting a boundary. đ§ It can save you trouble down the road. It can help to lift the weight and burden of feeling like you have to do it all. Because you don't. âš
Did you hear? YOU đ DO đ NOT đ HAVE đ TO đ DO đ IT đ ALL.
As Christians, we are taught to be givers, not takers. To give generously and love everyone. We are called to represent Him, to be Christ-like. âïž But God does not call us to burn ourselves out. It can be a red flag đ© if you're constantly working striving to do everything your clients ask. You'll only experience exhaustion and start neglecting the ministry and become idle in serving your own loved ones. đȘ Even Jesus went out on the boat to take a break and wasn't there to please people. We are only called to please Him. God may have equipped us to be able to do anything, but He does not expect us to do everything. We don't need to put the pressure on ourselves to do so. đ Let Him lead you in the way your business should go. Enter His rest. Pray on the requests you receive and ask God to open the door and make way if you are to fulfill them. đ
While you may have to say NO right now, don't ignore the requests or never consider them either. Pause, think about it, maybe even write down the pros and cons to see what you could do. âïž You want your clients to feel comfortable enough giving you their honest thoughts. Let them know you do see them and you do hear them. đ You also probably get some good feedback that would help you better serve the majority of your clients right? If you ask your clients about XYZ and most of them raise their hand - it shows a valuable need - try to go for it! đ We know we've received great feedback in the past few years that have only helped us to improve! đ
Thank your clients and let them know you appreciate their feedback and while you won't be able to do it at this time it's something you'd love to consider in the future. Save the requests somewhere safe and schedule time to re-evaluate them at a later time. đ Do keep in mind some of these requests NEED to come at a higher price point for customized or additional services. Do not sell yourself short!! You are not Amazon, you are not Wal-mart, you are not Costco providing everything at low cost with free shipping by 10pm same day! đđ
If some of the requests you receive are something you absolutely know you wouldn't be able to change and accommodate anytime soon or even at any point in your business, then THAT IS OKAY too! đââïž Maybe the time with that client has come to an end. They were with you for a season and it's time they move on. It happens. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a client find where they'd be better served for their specific needs with another coach than to be stuck with me not seeing results. I know you want the very best for all those you are working with! đ„°
We get it, sometimes the requests can get out of hand. It's tough and can be frustrating not being able to fulfill them. It might make you feel inadequate, that your business isn't good enough as it is and that you need to take care of them ASAP or they will leave you high and dry. (hint: again, if they leave it's okay. They are not your people now.) You are enough and you are already doing big amazing things! đ If you're in our content club membership, we know ALL the tremendous value you are providing đ along with showing up with your heart and a genuine desire to help them improve their wellness and their life. đ
Remember, you have the right to say NO (preferably in a nice way, but honestly sometimes you might need to be a little blunt too! đ ). If it breaks a little piece of your heart to turn someone down, I promise it gets better with practice and you'll become more comfortable standing up for yourself and YOUR business. You will also attract the right people to you who are a good fit for what you have to offer. It can be a powerful thing. đ
đ - Danielle Nazir, Coach Content Collaboration Founder
