Should I invest in my business?

I hear this question a LOT.

‘Should I be investing in my business?’

‘What do I need to invest in?’

‘Is this the right person/programme for me to invest in right now?’

And behind this can be other, more fearful questions – ‘What if I get ripped off? What if I don’t see a return on my investment? What if I just end up out of pocket and no further on in my business?’

I get this. I’ve had exactly the same questions in the past and I know it’s not an easy decision.

Over the years I’ve invested a substantial amount in my business, working with different coaches and group programmes. Sometimes I’ve got it right and achieved the results I wanted. Other times I’ve ended up feeling frustrated and like I haven’t got what I needed out of the process.

So,whether you’re thinking about investing in a coach, a mastermind group or a programme right now, here’s what I’ve learned about investing.

1) There is never a right time

Sorry to break it to you, but I can pretty much guarantee that there will never be a time when you have a pot of cash put aside and feel completely ready to make an investment in your business.

Most of the time there will be other things you could be spending your money on, so you’ll probably feel torn about making your investment.

Most of the time, you’ll have some doubts about whether investing is the right thing to do. ‘Is this the right coach for me? Is this the right programme?’

Sometimes, you might be thinking about putting your investment on a credit card and worrying about that.

None of this is a sign that you shouldn’t go ahead and do it.

My best advice is to tune in and go with your intuition. Resolve to make a decision, one way or another, and trust that whatever you choose, it’s the right thing for you right now.

2) Be in your power

I often hear people criticising coaches they’ve worked with or programmes they’ve done, because they don’t feel they’ve got the results they wanted.

Now I’m not saying there aren’t any bad coaches or crappy programmes out there, but any time you make an investment remember it’s a two-way process.

This is not about handing over a pile of cash, sitting back and waiting for the other party to magically change things for you. You need to engage and commit to getting what you need from the process.

I say this with love and complete understanding, because I’ve had times in the past when I’ve invested and ended up feeling frustrated that I wasn’t seeing the shifts I wanted. At the time I felt resentment towards the coach I was working with, but the fact is it was down to me. I was being too passive in the process.

I sat back, didn’t participate as much I could have and expected things to change purely from the very act of investing. Doh!

I later worked with the same coach and got hugely different results, because I engaged. I stepped into my power and made damn sure that I got what I needed.

Lesson learned.

Be in your power and accept responsibility for achieving the results you desire (because you are the only one who can do this.)

3) Put some skin in the game

This is cliché (and maybe a bit cheesy!), but it’s a cliché for a reason (because it’s true). If you want to see results, you need to have skin in the game.

I’ve bought online programmes for $97 and received very little value, because it didn’t really feel like much of an investment for me.

On the other hand, I’ve invested £,000’s in coaching programmes and taken huge action because the amount I’d spent felt like a stretch. I knew I had to bloomin’ well get my money’s worth and I made sure I did.

This is the difference that having skin in the game makes.

That’s why I now tend to make more substantial investments and less of them, rather than lots of smaller investments.

4) Set a clear intention

Whenever you’re making an investment, be clear about what you want to get out of it.  Begin by asking yourself these questions:

Where do you want to be at the end of the process?

How will you and your business be different?

What support do you need?

What specific results do you want to see?

How will you know when you’ve got these results?

When I was making the transition to focus on money mindset work with my clients, I hired a coach for six months to help me make that change in my business. I knew that I wanted to grow my list, raise my profile in what was a new field for me and create and sell new high-level offerings for my clients.

By the end of the 6-months, I’d run a successful telesummit, doubled my list and had high level clients working with me on a new 6-month programme and my VIP day offering.

When clients come to work with me, I make sure they’re clear about the results they want to create.

Some want to double their income, some want to get their first paying clients, some want to get clear on their pricing and some want to create a more resourceful relationship with money.

If you go into something with woolly intentions, you’ll receive woolly results (believe me, I’ve been there!)

Get crystal clear on what you want to achieve and you’re halfway there already.

5) Create a space and take action

Whenever you’re deciding to invest in your business, commit to taking consistent action.

Schedule time in your diary to listen to any group calls as well as do the exercises and implement.

I fell foul of this recently, because I’d invested in a group programme which involved lots of inner and energy work. I’d put the group calls in my diary, but hadn’t scheduled time to do the work I needed to do.

I ended up feeling rushed and pressured (and you can’t rush inner work). It’s only now that I’ve made enough space in my diary that I know I’ll receive what I need from the programme.

Whenever you’re investing, you need to give yourself the space and time to both consume the content you need AND take action.

At the end of the day, only you know whether a particular investment is right for you.

If you go into it with the right attitude, ready to take action and receive what you need, then the chances are you’ll get the results you desire (and often much more).

I invest consistently in myself and my business, because I want to continue growing. I also expect my clients to invest and engage when they work with me, so I’d feel a complete fraud if I didn’t do the same myself.

Make your decision from a place of power, rather than a place of fear, and enjoy the process.

Now I’d love to know, what have been your experiences of investing in your business?  Good, bad or indifferent, I invite you to join the discussion now and comment below.

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