Is Your Business a Real Business Or A Hobby That Happens To Make Money

Well? What’s your answer? Is your business a real business or a hobby that happens to make money?

At the start of my business I definitely had a hobby that happened to make money. I didn’t think of myself as a business owner. I was just little ol’ me designing in my home – nothing serious. I thought of myself as a freelancer – and to a lot of people that means “flaky.”

While flaky didn’t apply to me or my business (If it had I wouldn’t be writing this today!), “flaky” did apply to my mindset toward my business. Sometimes I focused on my business and sometimes I didn’t. I sort of marketed my business, but not really. I always got my client work done, but never really focused on working on my business… but then everything changed.

I met a couple great mentors and coaches and my mindset shifted. Not a lot at first, but it shifted and that was the start of something fabulous.

Some of you have clarity (lucky you) and know whether you have a business or a hobby, but for many entrepreneurs, finding the answer to the business or hobby question is a serious struggle.

It’s a struggle because the criteria for what makes a business real or legitimate are completely subjective.

• To some a legitimate business means that you have office space and employees
• To some a real business means that they are covering certain bills
• To some a credible business means that they are getting paid for a service or product
• And to others, a credible business means that they don’t report to anyone but themselves and have total freedom

Really, the only criteria you need to worry about are the ones you set for yourself.

With that said, I do have to share something with you. As a successful coachsultant and online marketing trainer and an experienced web designer, I come across a lot of entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses and take them to the next level. But at the same time, many of those same entrepreneurs aren’t taking their business seriously enough to achieve the kind of success they want.

To grow a successful business to the six figures and beyond, you have to approach your business like a corporation and not a hobby that just happens to make money.

Approaching your business like a corporation means:

• Embracing the CEO mindset
• Taking your business seriously and eliminating distractions Monday through Friday during business hours
• Getting clear about your big vision and where you want to take your business. This means setting three, five, and even ten year goals.
• Setting goals that need to be achieved to make your big vision a reality
• Outlining objectives that need to be met to achieve your goals
• Using a business plan (This isn’t a giant document you stick in a drawer… this is a living, breathing document)
• Making simple changes in the way you approach and think about your business
   

In Week 1 of my Online Marketing Acceleration Bootcamp, we’ll be spending one 90 minute training session and one 60 minute Q&A session on this exact topic – goal setting, mindset, and your approach to business.

We’ll discuss what it means to take your business seriously and approach it like a corporation and not a hobby that makes some money. We’ll discover how to effectively define and map out your path to your big vision so you know exactly what needs to happen to get you there. And, we’ll talk about setting and using measurable, realistic goals and objectives to help you turn your big vision into reality – without a long 20+ page business plan!

If you want to grow your existing business, build a respected and credible business, or transition your hobby into a business that not only makes money but feeds your passion and serves others in a big way, you’ve got to participate in the Online Marketing Acceleration Bootcamp. I promise, this training session alone will have a big impact on your mindset and your business.

For a limited time, you reserve your spot in my Online Marketing Acceleration Bootcamp for only $199… That’s less than a day at the spa! If you have any questions, you can email me at Jennifer@bourncreative.com