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Why having the right mind-set is key to running a successful business

February 21, 2016 Melanie Hawken

Guest Blog by Karen Wessels, co-founder and COO of VA Connect

Success at times can seem quite elusive. You’re running your own business, running a household, and you’re a wife, partner, parent to boot. So how do others do it? They make it look so easy. Does it have to do with them being better at time management? Or, is it that they have a different mind-set to you?

 

Success can be related to your belief system, passion, attitude and habits. The reality is that each and every entrepreneur is different and your journey is unique to you. What it will come down to eventually is keeping a balance between setting practical habits and deciding when to let things go.

I’ve compiled a list of different mind-sets that will help you on your entrepreneurial journey to success.

Do what you love, and love what you do

Once you’ve found your passion and you’ve invested in it, you are more likely to enjoy success. Naturally this makes sense. When you spend more than 85% of your day doing what you love, you will be able to tolerate the parts of your job that you don’t love as much, like doing admin work, or following up on creditors for example. In any case, these are things you need to learn to delegate to your staff. When you love what you’re doing, the sky is the limit to achieving great success.

Keep talking about your vision

It’s an excellent idea to start every day visualising how your day will go. When you start your day with intention, it will go according to plan. With the same token, the more you speak about the vision for your business and your purpose, the more it will become engrained in your mind, your very being. Share your passion and joy on a daily basis with your staff, your family, and in business meetings. It’s also serves as a great reminder for you as to why you started your business in the first place.

Believe in you

Believe in yourself, your vision, and your capabilities. Always ensure you have a positive attitude, as this will make the journey a smoother one. When you believe in yourself you can achieve basically anything. With this belief you will strengthen your resolve when the going gets tough. You will be resilient and fortuitous. 

In the face of fear, be courageous

Starting your own business can be a scary thing. There will be times that you’ll need to step into the uncomfortable zone, and your fear may hold you back. In order to be successful you may need to do courageous things, venturing into the unknown. Don’t fear failure or success. You will experience both and you need to have the courage to learn from both.

Be grateful for this journey

Stop, and take a look at how far you’ve come, at what you’ve achieved. Don’t allow negativity to impede your growth to success. Be grateful for everything that you’ve experienced on this journey, whether it’s good or bad. Don’t complain about the small things, but rather be grateful that they happened as it prepares you for the next part of your journey. 

Developing these mind-sets will help you navigate this path which has no handbook. With these mind-sets you are armed with abundance and openness to take you in the right direction and achieve what you’ve set out for yourself from the beginning – to live a life you’ve always wanted.


Karen Wessels is the co-founder and COO of VA Connect, a South African virtual assistant platform that provides outsourced administrative support. Prior to establishing VA Connect, Karen spent over 10 years in different sales, marketing & admin support roles. Having worked with MDs, SMEs and professionals, she is very familiar with managing different workloads within tight deadlines. This has equipped her with the invaluable skills required to run a successful VA business. Follow Karen on her Personal Website |  Twitter | Facebook | Google+

 

Read more of Karen's blog posts....

Featured
Here are your 3 easy-to-apply sales tips for the week
Feb 22, 2019
Karen Wessels, Sales
Here are your 3 easy-to-apply sales tips for the week
Feb 22, 2019
Karen Wessels, Sales

by Karen Wessels, founder of SnappSales and VA Connect

Sales really does get such a negative reputation sometimes, and I get it - most of us have a bit of a skewed understanding when it comes to sales, so we would rather steer clear than truly harness our sales powers.

Feb 22, 2019
Karen Wessels, Sales
The best productivity tips for parenting entrepreneurs
Sep 1, 2018
Karen Wessels
The best productivity tips for parenting entrepreneurs
Sep 1, 2018
Karen Wessels

by Karen Wessels, founder of VA Connect and SnappSales

Life loves throwing us curveballs at the best of times. It’s going to happen and it will continue happening. So, the question is, how do we best manage this? As entrepreneurs we are solution-based thinkers. This means that we are continuously seeking solutions as opposed to looking straight into the problem. It could take years of figuring out, adapting, changing, making sure that your process and flow work for you. 

Sep 1, 2018
Karen Wessels
What It Means to Have a Strong Business Posture
Aug 5, 2018
Karen Wessels
What It Means to Have a Strong Business Posture
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Karen Wessels

by Karen Wessels, founder of VA Connect and SnappSales

I remember like it was yesterday, starting out in business and taking on clients and suppliers that in your gut just didn’t feel right. We’ve all been guilty of this. We feel that when we are a start-up or new to the entrepreneurial world that we should take on any client to gain the much needed experience and exposure. And who is going to say no to that additional income, right?

Aug 5, 2018
Karen Wessels
Finding the best sales tools for your business 
Jun 26, 2018
Karen Wessels, Sales
Finding the best sales tools for your business 
Jun 26, 2018
Karen Wessels, Sales

by Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect and co-founder of SnappSales

Recently I had the privilege of speaking to a roomful of successful businesswomen about the importance of sales. These business owners required ideas on how to build sales confidence and also practical tools to implement in their business to assist with scaling and growing their enterprises.

Jun 26, 2018
Karen Wessels, Sales
Living your Best Life as an Entrepreneur
May 31, 2018
Karen Wessels
Living your Best Life as an Entrepreneur
May 31, 2018
Karen Wessels

by Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect and co-founder of SnappSales

When you wake up on a Monday morning thinking its Saturday, I reckon that’s a great start to the week! Although some of you probably wouldn’t agree with this because more than likely you’ll feel disappointed to realize its Monday. I love Mondays! To me it’s symbolic of a fresh start to the week, an opportunity to start on a clean slate and do even better than what we did last week.

May 31, 2018
Karen Wessels
How Distractions in Business can become a Costly Thing
May 19, 2018
Karen Wessels, Entrepreneurial Journey
How Distractions in Business can become a Costly Thing
May 19, 2018
Karen Wessels, Entrepreneurial Journey

by Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect and co-founder of SnappSales

Since starting this crazy mad entrepreneurial journey which is filled with passion, great rewards and eternal lessons, I’m exceptionally grateful for all the lessons that have been placed on my path, to help me grow and mature as a business owner and person. And trust me, there are many! Like learning that distractions can start costing your business money. 

May 19, 2018
Karen Wessels, Entrepreneurial Journey
The power of LinkedIn and what it means for your Business 
Apr 21, 2018
Karen Wessels
The power of LinkedIn and what it means for your Business 
Apr 21, 2018
Karen Wessels

by Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect and co-founder of SnappSales

Are you one of those people that absolutely loves social media or completely hates it? I have the privilege of mentoring a few start-ups and one of the most common blockers we talk about is how to find new clients. Now it’s going to be quite a challenge if you despise social media in light of what follows. However, if you’re a newbie business owner, you’re just starting out with a rather shall we say “tight” marketing budget, then social media is your friend.

Apr 21, 2018
Karen Wessels
Do you have a can do attitude? 
Apr 8, 2018
Karen Wessels
Do you have a can do attitude? 
Apr 8, 2018
Karen Wessels

by Karen Wessels, cofounder of VA Connect and cofounder of SnappSales

In a mentoring session today with my top mentor, he made an interesting observation. He said that one of the things he has observed is my ‘can do’ attitude. This got me thinking about our general attitude towards business amongst women entrepreneurs.

Apr 8, 2018
Karen Wessels
5 guidelines for a market-friendly business name and why it’s important
Mar 26, 2018
Karen Wessels
5 guidelines for a market-friendly business name and why it’s important
Mar 26, 2018
Karen Wessels

by Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect and co-founder of SnappSales

The launch of a new business is always exciting! You’ve probably left your corporate job, told your friends and family about your new venture, and you’re putting the finishing touches on your ideation before going public.

Mar 26, 2018
Karen Wessels
Accept help, even when you think you don’t need it
Mar 16, 2018
Karen Wessels
Accept help, even when you think you don’t need it
Mar 16, 2018
Karen Wessels

by Karen Wessels, co-founder of VA Connect and co-founder SnappSales

I had the good fortune of attending the Lioness Lean In event last week in Johannesburg. Very inspirational to be in a room of business women who are buzzing with excitement with new product launches and celebrating business growth! As you can imagine, when surrounded by this calibre of women, you instinctively think, “Wow, these women can do it all” and yes more than likely they can. But should they?

Mar 16, 2018
Karen Wessels
In Guest Blog Tags Karen Wessels
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Tech FoundHER AFRICA CHALLENGE

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LIONESS BOOK REVIEWS

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Built on Purpose: Discover Your Deep Inner Why and Manifest the Business of Your Dreams by Betsy Fore
Built on Purpose: Discover Your Deep Inner Why and Manifest the Business of Your Dreams by Betsy Fore
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The Magnetic Female Entrepreneur: The Art of Empowered Presence, Rising to New Levels of Impact and Influence, and Financial Success on Your Own Terms by Mary Grant
Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out  by Fiona Soutter
Women Entrepreneurs Rewired To Rise: Powerful Habits that Break Through Burnout, Silence Your Inner Critic, and Build a Thriving Business from the Inside Out by Fiona Soutter
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Dream Big and Win: Translating Passion into Purpose and Creating a Billion-Dollar Business by Liz Elting
After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin
After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup by Julia Austin

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