This week I turned 50 years old. 50! Holy cow.
It looks pretty good from up on top of this hill. I can look around and reflect on where I have been and where I am going.
In my travels, I have Googled turning 50 (I Google everything!), and this neat little article popped up that I thought I would share with you.
The fact that it’s on the website seniors.lovetoknow.com stopped me for a moment, but then you are only as old as you feel (senior, though? yikes!), and I continued reading the article.
It’s titled 50 Good Things About Turning 50.
I realized that it was easy enough to share the whole article with you rather than reinvent the wheel.
It’s a good list, and some of it is even funny.
And as support professionals, our business is very much about who we are.
The older we get the wiser we get, don’t we?
So I’ve listed my Top 5 things below, so that I can relate them to business (because that’s why we’re all here!)
1. You’re less fearful.
Fear in business is something I’ve taught more about recently, and I even wrote my chapter about it in my book. I was surprised that this topic resonated so much with so many people I know. We don’t think hesitation in business being based in fear, but in many instances it is. Think about setting your rates, choosing your services, asking someone for a sales conversation. What stops you from confidently doing these things? It’s fear. But what are we afraid of? That they will say no. That they will challenge our value or worthiness. When you detach yourself from the outcome of any situation, you become less fearful. Business actually becomes easier. Honest! 🙂
2. You know yourself.
When making business decisions, it’s important to consider who you are as a business person. Knowing yourself is about your own confidence level. Saying yes to people when you don’t want to is never a good idea, and as you get older you realize that it’s never in your best interest to do things you don’t want to do, or shouldn’t do. Know your limits and operate within them. If you know that you have a tendency to say yes and then regret it, say no more often. If you know that you overschedule yourself, during the day, work on changing that. Work within your own limits. You’ll enjoy your business more, and be more successful.
3. You stop sweating the small stuff.
So much of the advice I give to new(er) VAs is about the small stuff. They get really focused on the things that are not really in their control – or in the scheme or things, are simply not that important. Take for instance a logo or a company name. Nine times out of ten, these are not the biggest choices you will need to make in your business. Not to say they are not important, but the weight that some people put on them is too great. Sure, if your business is design or graphics or branding, it’s very important. But things like business plans and revenue forecasting are a much more important place to put your attention (in my opinion!). Remember everything in business is changeable – that’s one of the best parts of being a business owner. Don’t get so stuck on the small stuff that you ignore the big stuff!
4. You have a lifetime of wisdom to help you make decisions.
This was one of my favourite bits from this article. You know so much! Do you realize that? Decision making is a daunting thing for VAs. We seek advice from others much more often that many other industries. I’m not quite sure why that is. I have many conversations with VAs about what they actually know, and it is awesome when they begin to see their own value. Your value is what your business is based on. It’s what you need to convey to clients. When you realize how much you know, and how valuable you can be to your clients, the floodgates open and you can actually see yourself building a great business. It’s like a light switch. When you don’t realize it, you are walking around in the dark. When you do, the light goes on and everything becomes so much easier and clearer.
5. Your inner confidence shines.
Hand in hand with recognizing your own value is confidence. When you are talking to potential clients about helping them in their business, you must let your confidence shine through. My advice is always to offer services that you are very good at – if you are just starting out, start with what you know. Get clients in the door and then learn new things and change your service offerings. Clients can hear your confidence when you are talking about what you know how to do. No sales pitch needed!
Experience brings confidence in our business. Working for someone else and working for ourselves is very different in so many ways.
But the bottom line is that everything we have ever learned (yes, everything!) has made us into who we are today.
Draw on that experience when you are building the foundation of your business.
After all, clients will choose to work with you because you are YOU.
So show them your best you – no matter what your age!
And know, that the older you get, the better business person you will become.
If you want some more simple tips to help you be the best business owner you can be, check out my free training lesson: Tips for Healthy Working.