It is Possible to Run a Financially Successful Business and Create a Life To Suit You and Your Needs
Written by Claire Sweet, an award-winning financial adviser, money coach and best-selling author and Founder of Peace Together Money Coaching. Claire runs a multi-six-figure business advising entrepreneurs and business leaders globally on money management. Her best-selling book “Have Life Your Way” primarily aimed at women, gives straight talking advice on how to achieve financial security and financial freedom.
Growing a business and working in a way that suits you is being championed by entrepreneurs and business leaders the world-over and there’s nothing to stop you or hold you back from taking your passion, skills and experience and creating your own success, or in Claire’s words: ”Have Life Your Way!”
Women are making their fortunes and growing businesses all around the UK. What starts as a kitchen table hobby or garden room enterprise blossoms overnight and we can say “yes!” to success.
Every entrepreneur needs support and there are increasing levels of support available for all businesswomen. I really admire Michelle Ovens, the Founder of Small Business Britain, who champions the 14 million disabled people in the UK, nearly one in five of whom are working-age adults.
I know that there are many people with different barriers and challenges, who start their own business, and many more aspire to. We just need to create an environment where our diversity is recognised and celebrated be it; physical, emotional or mental health challenges.
From dyslexia, learning disabilities, depression…. famous entrepreneurs include; Richard Branson and JK Rowling, and if they can create their own success, you can too.
Let’s shout about it!
A lot of us don’t talk about what we do, we don’t try to sell our crafts or artwork, or think about expanding our small businesses as we often worry about what others will think. This is even more prevalent than we think. “Will people think that I’m greedy or selfish? Or that I’m trying to show off?”
This often shows up as guilt that you’ve done better than your friends/family and means that you don’t celebrate your successes as often as you could – instead sitting quietly when everyone is talking about what a bad year they’ve had.
The perception that it’s not fitting to be THAT successful is still ingrained in so many people, often on a subconscious level that you could live next door to a (female) millionaire and not know. Still shopping in Aldi and driving a 10 year old mum-car you’d have no idea that one of my clients made more than $2million in her business last year.
But there are two really good reasons for you to celebrate your success:
- Your story will inspire other differently–able women to step out of their comfort zone and do that thing they dream of. Seeing you succeed will give others the confidence to do it too!
- Earning good money gives you opportunities to give back, make life better for both you AND the people you know.
I’ve got some amazing examples of things that my clients have been able to do since their businesses crossed the £5k-£10k a month mark. Kyla’s success enabled her husband to fully retire from his rewarding but very stressful job to pursue his passion part-time creating beautiful hand-made pieces of woodwork. Natasha is able to donate regularly to causes she feels passionately about, plus buy food hampers and presents for more than 30 local families last Christmas. None of this would have been possible if they hadn’t followed their dreams and taken their businesses up to that six figure, multi-six and seven figure level.
So it’s time to get clear on what money could do for you – once the bills are paid and you have money over to spend on whatever you want to.
Things that make life better for you, your family and friends and the world as a whole.
- Take care of yourself and your dependents in the particular way you need.
- Help your children onto the property ladder by giving them a deposit contribution
- Pay off your brother’s mortgage (after you’ve cleared your own, obviously…) or buy a home to rent to someone in need
- Host a monthly lunch party and invite some friends to come along and share with you at your expense
- Retire your husband (this one is really common with women I work with) so he can support your vision
- Launch a social enterprise or pro-bono / scholarship programme for those who otherwise couldn’t afford to seek help / training or opportunities in your field of expertise
- Plan a whole year round the world trip so that your family can really dive in and experience living in other cultures and not just be a tourist seeing the popular destinations.
The point is that you can use this money for anything you choose – I’m sure you have a picture in your head, even if you’ve not yet got it as far as a vision board.
I use a process I call activated vision boarding with my clients, getting really clear on how they’d like their life to look and how they’d like to feel.
And then we create a step by step plan to get there.
You’ll know what purpose this money you’re earning has, and be really clear on all the opportunities that it will bring – a ripple effect out into the world which starts with YOU.
To find out more about Claire please visit https://peacetogether.co.uk/ or you can purchase her best-selling book ‘Have Life Your Way’ via https://book.peacetogether.co.uk/have-life-your-way/
