Is there a honeymoon period when running a business?
You know the deal. You start your business; you don’t miss the water-cooler politics, the commute, the endless meetings for the sake of it. The rosy tint on those self-employed glasses leads to a romantic vision of what self-employment means… but, at some stage, reality bites! You miss the camaraderie with colleagues, the feelings of “we’re in this together” and you find yourself overwhelmed with plans, ideas, lists. Not to mention the headache from wearing all those hats. CEO one minute, office clerk the next.
So, what can you do about it? Where can you go to bounce around those ideas, while obtaining valuable feedback from like-minded individuals, all the while making valuable progress towards your end-goals?
The answer is a Mastermind Group. A group of individuals striving for a common purpose and supporting each other along the way. Not convinced? After all, won’t this all take valuable time? Time that you could have dedicated to working on your business? Sure, you’re going to have to commit to regular meetings (either in person or “virtual”), you’re going to be held accountable for your actions. You’re going to have to realize that “it’s not all about you” But, what about the benefits? Let’s look at how you can leverage your impact with a Mastermind Group:-
- Business Idea Support
You’ve got a great business idea, right? Everyone thinks it’s a winner… except the “everyone” in this case is your partner and your mom. Not exactly objective opinions, then? This is where a Mastermind Group comes into its own.
There is a real synergy of energy, commitment and, dare I say, excitement that emanates from a good Mastermind Group. Members support each other with total honesty, respect and compassion. After all, the group should be made up of people in a similar position to you, so whilst it may not always be plain-sailing in terms of pitching your ideas, you know that any criticism will be constructive and aimed to challenge, rather than destroy. We all love being Devil’s Advocate sometimes, don’t we?
Your peers are there to give you feedback, help you brainstorm new possibilities and set up accountability structures to keep you focused and on track.
Use your members to gain a different perspective and iron out any wrinkles before you take your idea to market.
- Social Support
Sometimes your self-employed solitary efforts can feel like solitary confinement!
Remember your employed days, when you were surrounded by others and could regularly tap in and out of human interaction? Wouldn’t it be nice to have some compatriots to celebrate your success now? Commiserate with your failures (we all have ‘em!) and to just, well, listen sometimes?
With a Mastermind Group, you’re part of an exclusive community (and, hey, there’s no admission charge!) The feedback you receive can transcend just business issues and extend to your own self. It can be so liberating to review yourself and get impartial input. Being around those you feel comfortable with stimulates the “happy hormone”. The result? Better mental and physical health.
- Referral Partners
Members of a Mastermind Group all come with their own “tribe” – their own network of contacts. Over time, as you build your relationships with your peers, they will generally share their contacts with you. This gives you access to a greatly-extended personal network – no elevator pitch necessary – the recommendation has already been made for you.
In our next blog, we will look at how you can put your success into turbo-drive with focus, productivity and those Mastermind Groups, too.