Results Not as HOT as You’d Like? Time to FIRE things up!

I’ve been a busy woman this past week. I’ve been pouring through pages and pages of responses and heartfelt sharing from you, my readers. And I’m fired up!

In case you missed it, I recently posted a survey where I asked what was up for you and your business. The responses were amazingly honest, direct and inspiring, so Thank You So Much for taking the time to share your goals, challenges and questions with me.

And while each of you has your own unique set of goals, challenges and questions, I thought it would be helpful to share three of the big themes I noticed (see, you’re not alone!) and a resource to help you turn up the heat in your business – no matter which place you find yourself in.

(1) Stoke up the Fire

You’re tired of the feast or famine cycles in your business and are ready to make the leap to the next stage of income and flow in your business. You’re ready for more income, more clients, and a little more fun. But sometimes you wonder if it’s possible, if you’ve got what it takes or if it’s time for Plan B.

The BIG question you’re asking: How do I bring in more clients and finally shift my business out of survival mode.

(2) On Fire but Getting Burned Out

Things are really moving in your business – sometimes too fast to keep up. You’ve filled your schedule with lots of 1 to 1 services and clients love what you do for them – so much so they keep wanting more, more, more. But you’re getting burned out and you know you’ve hit an income ceiling if nothing changes. And while you’re smart, have great content and expertise and clients love you, you wonder why you’re not getting the big opportunities you know are possible (like invitations to be on tele-summits, stages, or to JV).

The BIG question you’re asking: How do I redesign this business to standout, get recognized as a leader/expert, serve more clients in less time and run smoothly so I can truly enjoy my success?

(3) Keep the Flame Blazing

Quite simply, you’re no longer willing to do things just for the money. You’re hot to create a sustainable, ideal business that allows you to play more fully in your sweet spot (or zone of genius, as several of you put it). You want to love what you do and be able to do the things that FIRE you up, but not compromise on making a big impact and significant income. You’ve got the pieces, the reputation and the vision. You just wonder if you have the resources (energy, people, systems) and clarity to pull it all together for both short and long term success.

The BIG Question you’re asking: How do I turn what I’ve built into an ideal business that energizes me, makes a significant difference in the world and is sustainable?

No matter which stage of growth you find yourself at, it seems nearly everyone wants more F.I.R.E. in their lives — more Freedom, more Impact, more Revenue and more Ease (not to mention more fun, energy and passion!).

So, what’s stopping you from getting there?

My experience and observation is that it’s likely one of these 5 core issues.

1. Lack of Clarity.

Are you crystal clear about what you want and why it’s important? Are you clear about what you do, who you serve best and how you do it? Without these fundamental pieces in place, you’re vulnerable. You won’t be as clear as you could be in your communications. You won’t be as decisive as you need to be. And you won’t take the kind of clear action that gets results.

2. Lack of Focus.

Being an entrepreneur is like being a kid in a candy store. Opportunities, ideas and distractions abound. Are you focused on the outcomes you really want? Are you focused on what you do best or are you trying to be all things to all people? Do you stay the course or do you flit about from idea to idea, opportunity to opportunity, offer to offer, hoping and praying that something, that anything, will work? Without focus, you spread yourself too thin. You work too hard for too little reward. And you end up frazzled and fried.

3. Lack of an Integrated Strategy or Plan.

Do the things you spend your time on multiply your effort or divide them? Multipliers create a domino effect — so that by pushing the first domino you set off a fast moving string of desired events. And that requires a well planned strategy. If you hop on hot ideas and trends, try on different marketing tactics, create random products or services, without tying them into your overall business plan or signature solution you’ll end up investing time, energy and money into strategies that don’t payoff. Think of it like randomly placing dominos all over the floor, in no particular order or pattern, and wondering why they don’t fall the way you want them to. Your business is a system. Is everything working together for the good of the whole?

4. Your environment isn’t set up to deliver the results you want.

Our environments are PERFECTLY designed to deliver the level of results we’re currently getting. Want different results? Change the environment. You may need new standards and boundaries. You may need new guidance. You may need internal systems. You may need new marketing systems. Or service delivery systems. You may need new team members.

5. Implementation is compromised.

Usually by lack of energy or resources. No matter how clear, focused, integrated and supported you are, if you don’t have the energy and resources to take the action required, you won’t get results. Sometimes there are very real reasons why we can’t execute our vision and plans. And until those issues are addressed, you won’t get results.

This 5 point list can be a quick and easy way to diagnose why you’re results aren’t as hot as you’d like them to be.