Running a business can be fun but it can also be horrible, stressful, scary, expensive and … (insert your own). However, when you get it right it is exciting, rewarding and satisfyingly fulfilling. Getting it right though, that’s the thing!

When I started my hypnotherapy business I thought everyone who had given me advice was wrong. I knew better. So much so that I put my brilliant advert in the paper and waited for the deluge of calls that I knew would follow. After one week I had received four calls. Three were from other papers offering me further advertising and one from a chap who wanted to know if I gave extras with the massage. Ok, so perhaps I wasn’t the expert I thought I was.

Various snippets of help and suggestions came my way. One was from a wonderful osteopath who said it had taken her seven years to become an overnight success.

Seven years? I didn’t want to wait that long. The important thing that I had to get my head round was that if no one knew about me they wouldn’t know about me. Seems simple enough but it actually irritated me hugely. People should just know. They should flock to me while all I need to do is wait. If I had stuck with that I would still be waiting.

You have to get out there and let people know of your existence and how you can give them more than they want. This is the same whether you sell services or products. That makes many people gulp!?

None of us want to be one of those dull boring people who insist on telling you all about themselves: what, when and how they do whatever it is that they do. You know someone like that don’t you? - That annoying person that you want to poke with a stick.

Getting your message across is a skill but there are ways to learn how to do it painlessly and with fantastic results.

Here are a few ideas to get going:

• Be clear who you are – if you don’t know, how can anyone else hope to have any idea?
• Know your customer or client - who wants what you have?
• What is unique about you – why should someone want to come to you?
• What’s in it for them? Customers and clients really aren’t interested in you, only in themselves. 
• Get good at networking – I tend to regard networking groups and meetings as a bit of a jolly. This would probably be criticised by some but I go with the intention of meeting new people so we can share information while having a laugh. And if I’m not having fun I leave.
• Learn to deliver your message quickly but succinctly when someone asks.
• Listen to others particularly those who are successful. For them it all seems natural and effortless – you can be like that.
• Don’t bore the pants off people with dull me me me chat.
• Be featured and or interviewed in publications relevant to you and your clients/customers.
• Write articles and features.
• Have an informative website.
• If you can bear it gives talks or demonstrations.
• Revel in competition – think shoe shops and banks.
• Maintain a sense of humour.
• Manage stress.
• Find people to help you.

Please send me your tips and ideas.