Becoming a business owner is a big accomplishment, and it’s certainly not something that everyone is able to do. However, even if you’ve made this step and you’re running your own business, it’s not uncommon for business owners to feel like imposters and experience doubt about whether or not they can – or even should – be doing what they are doing. Of course, feeling like a confident, professional business owner is a crucial element of success, so it’s important to know how to help yourself feel more like a business owner; read on for some useful advice.
Recognize Your Achievements
Imposter syndrome often stems from a fear of being exposed as a fraud and not what you are trying to be, even if there is no evidence that this is the case. In fact, you might even have evidence that you’re not a fraud or imposter at all, and that you are fully capable of running the business you set out to create.
If that is the case, it’s important to recognize any achievements you might have made, no matter how small they might be. Take the time to reflect on how far you have come and all the success you’ve had along the way. It’s true that there will have been challenges as well, but you’ll still have moved forward, and that is something to be proud of – it shows that you really can do what you’re telling people you can do.
A good idea would be to write down all the successes you have had so that you can easily see all the hard work, skills, and expertise you’ve put in to bring you where you are today. Really looking at your past successes and allowing yourself to acknowledge them will reinforce your worthiness as a business owner.
Celebrate Small Victories
Don’t dismiss or downplay your victories in business, no matter how small and insignificant they might seem in the grand scheme of things. Celebrating small victories not only instills a sense of pride, but also reinforces the belief that you really are capable of anything and totally deserving of the success you’ve found.
The thing to remember is that progress is made through a series of small steps most of the time rather than one big jump, and each step (or small victory, in other words) is a great opportunity to get one step closer to your ultimate goal. It’s also an ideal way to learn so that you pick up information gradually, and that makes it easier to retain and use successfully.
Reframe Negative Self-Talk
In many cases, if you are suffering from imposter syndrome or something like it, you’ll find yourself going through negative self-talk, even when you don’t realise it. Take each of these negative ideas and opinions and look at them in a different, more positive way, and they’ll lose their power to make you feel bad and can instead be used to help you feel much more like a business owner who belongs where they are.
Instead of telling yourself you’re going to fail at something, think about how great it will be if you succeed. It’s true that you might not do well (after all, no one is good at everything), but when you are more positive at the outset, you’ll start with much more confidence, and that really can make all the difference. Empower yourself by being more positive and see how the outcomes change. Once you realize how you can make a difference, you’ll start being more positive, and that will lead you to know for sure that you are an expert business owner, and you won’t have any more doubts.
Get Support
Running a business can be an isolating thing to do, and a lot of the time, business owners will try to do everything themselves, especially when they are just starting out. If you do this, you’ll be taking on a lot all at once, and that can be overwhelming and can potentially lead to burnout. At the very least, it’s going to make you tired, moody, and frustrated – you might not be able to see the progress you’re making because you are so bogged down by everything you need to do.
This is why it’s important for business owners to get support. The support you get can come from a variety of different avenues, and you can pick the ones that work best for you. For example, you might feel better if you have a mentor by your side, or you might prefer to delegate tasks and outsource some things so you can focus more on the core of your business. Both options will help you see yourself as a business owner, but you’ll need to go about things a slightly different way, depending on what you choose. And there are many other ways to get support as well, including reading business books, networking, and speaking to friends and family. Support is crucial to help you feel like less of an imposter, so no matter where it comes from, you need to find it.
Have A ‘Real’ Workspace
Remote working is very popular these days, and it certainly does have its place – it can save money and if you have employees, it might be ideal for them to feel happy and have a good work-life balance. However, when it comes to feeling like a ‘real’ business owner, having a ‘real’ workspace can be the best option, at least to begin with. In other words, having your own office to go to where you work and then leave to come home again can work wonders when it comes to making you feel less like an imposter.
Make sure you invest in making your workplace really feel professional. You could have signage outside, for example, and make sure everything is kept neat and tidy. One great idea is to have logo mats for your businesses entrance. You’ll need to step over this every day when you arrive, and it will serve as an excellent reminder of who you are, what you’re doing, and how far you have come, helping to boost your confidence even more.
The more professional you can make your workspace, the more confident you’ll feel, so think about what you need to put in place to make this happen. As an added bonus, if any customers, suppliers, or potential investors were to come to your business premises, they would feel confident that you were a professional business owner too.
Dress Right
The way you present yourself can have a huge impact on how you feel as a business owner. Dressing professionally is a great way to create a positive image of you and your business to the outside world, and on top of that, it will make you feel good and less of an imposter, thereby increasing your confidence and self-assurance levels.
Make sure you pay attention to your personal grooming and choose outfits that reflect how professional you are. Think about the message you want to convey to anyone who might see you, and tailor your work wardrobe to send that message out. When you look the part, you’ll feel much more like a business owner.
