There are many reasons to start a business. I know my main reason was due to the loss of income after I had a baby. However, after the initial 'oh my god- I've got no money and those shoes are just fabulous' has been satisfied; growing my business became a sort of obsession. Diva Promotions is my baby, I started it and it's going to be huge!!

But how??

It was easy enough to work out the idea and do some research. Is it viable? Yes - great! So I thought of a business name, get an ABN, register my business name, opened a bank account, got a website and found a few customers. Woohoo!! I was in business!

But then what? This is the time that many business owners start to realise their business is not really a business - maybe just a hobby or a “job”. You may want to keep it that way and use your small amount of income to get those shoes!!

Others want to grow their business to be huge and develop a residual income stream- or to have a business that operates without them so they can jet set around the globe! This is my goal for Diva Promotions…. But, I got a little stuck on the way!

How exactly do you go about growing your empire, when you have no idea??

There are a couple of things that helped me get my business back on track:

1. First - I needed to identify my dreams!! I would take some time away from everyone and really let my mind go – I imagined my life in 5-10 years time. I envisioned the lifestyle I wanted for me and my family. I thought long and hard about what I wanted my business to do - was I going to give it up in a few years time, or did I see myself working it until I retired? It was also really helpful to have a sounding board, someone who can listen and throw some ideas in.
   
   
2. I did some Personal Development exercises. This was in the form of reading some books, listening to some audio tapes and attending some workshops like one of the Mums in Business seminars featuring Anna Lang; expert in this field. These exercises can expand your mind to look beyond what is in front of you and help you look toward the future for your business and your life. They taught me to look beyond what is right now and to train my mind to be on the lookout for more opportunities.
   
   
3. I needed to increase my business knowledge! I did not know a whole lot about how business worked, so I enlisted the help of Mums in Business owner - Alison Basson. I read a lot of books on business - yes a lot of them were really boring! You will always be learning and if you think you know it all- it's time to pack up your business and do something else. You will save yourself time and money as your business will go belly-up anyway with this type of thinking.
   
   
   

Time and money are two very important commodities when you run your own business, however I learnt from Alison that it was very important to put aside a bit of both to invest in business coaching. A true business coach should be a successful business owner already and someone willing to invest their time in you and your business. Alison’s help has been invaluable in allowing me to think beyond my current possibilities, without getting lost in business jargon, and the ‘what if’s!’ Phone coaching sessions are now available from Mums in Business. This type of coaching is great as it is completely flexible, allowing you to grow your business over the phone- wherever you may be!!

If you find you are at a cross roads in your business or you are scratching your head about where to go next, remember the information and resources available to you from Mums in Business and try some of the above strategies. Remember, we all get roadblocks- it's up to you to find your motivation and break them down!! (Just think of the wardrobe you can have with the shoes!!!)

Emma Rhoades
Diva Promotions, www.divapromotions.com.au