Another year has come and gone, and your business is STILL not where you thought it would be. You've kept you're head down, worked on a couple of things, and maybe realized those weren't the right things, so you stopped and jumped on to new and more exciting things. Except, that's no way to run a business, and sis, we're not doing that in 2024.

If at the end of 2023 you looked up and realized you had a bunch of half-finished projects, then keep reading.

This blog post is all about how to find some direction and know what you're doing in 2024. 

Don't give up on you're purpose

The day you decided to start a business was full of sparkling champagne and butterflies. The world was at your feet and you were sure you were on your way to becoming the next big thing. Trust me, I felt it too!

That daydream comes to a screeching halt when you finally sit down and realize you have to turn your vision into a reality.

We see the shiny new cars, the luxury vacations, and huge houses that other successful entrepreneurs have.

We want them too!

Watching them live their dream lives is both a motivation and the crutch that might be keeping you from getting where you want to be. Simply put, what we don't get to see behind the scenes is everything they had to sacrifice in order to get where they are now.

Running a business, especially one that generates a 6-figures or more, is hard work. In order to set your business up for this kind of success, you'll need to live a "cut-back" life.

What does that mean?

When a woman has a baby, those beginning few months are some of the most trying in existence. Her whole life circles around that tiny infant that needs so much of her love, energy, and attention. She'll find herself waking up every couple of hours to feed, holding her baby (on her feet because for some reason they don't like when you sit down), bathing and cleaning all day. Honestly, how can a newborn be so messy?!

Hopefully, I've done justice to the grueling and realistic experience of new-mom life, because it's very similar to how attentive you'll have to be to your business if you want to be successful. 

How does Being a Successful Business Owner Work?

The "cut-back" life will require you to shut out as many distractions as possible that might keep you from focusing on your growing business.

Now, I'm not saying shut out everything, and everyone.

As women, there will always be some responsibilities that we cannot avoid. As social creatures, it may be a huge act of self-care to schedule regular visits out with friends. However, a new business will draw on you mentally, physically, and financially.

Prioritization will have to be your new focus word in 2024.

This may mean, no more weekly girl's night out, or you might have to cut back on the Starbuck's trips in favor of running an ad or two. These types of decisions are pivotal at the beginning of your business career.

If you're working a 9-5 while building, you're time is even more precious, so choose wisely where you invest it.

Now if you've made it this far, you're ready to hear exactly how you're going to make 2024 the year of EXCELLENCE.

Plan out your Year

Success doesn't happen without strategy. You'll need to create your own direction and drive your own momentum to get where you need to go.

Luckily, this isn't as hard as you might think.

You already have a pretty good idea of where you want to be by the end of 2024 and what you need to do to get there.

If you're shaky on the details, start by writing down where you want to be and work backwards. Don't stop until you've gotten to a place where you have actionable weekly steps you can take that lead back to your ultimate goal.

This will become your 2024 Strategic Plan!

I've created a FREE no-fluff printable workbook to help you break it all down as well. It makes it super easy to take your driving purpose, your best vision of business success, and break it down until everything your do means progress.

Get yours here and start working on it immediately!

The best progress I've had in business to-date started when I became so strategic that nothing was left to chance. I use planners and notebooks to keep my thoughts on track. For those of you who have ideas bursting out of your head at every turn, make sure to keep a notebook on you or beside you bed at night so you don't forget them. 

Find Mentorship!

The little details aside, hidden tips and tricks of any industry are always going to come from good mentorship.

The first blogging course I took came from a 7-figure earner, that I very much admired. She was exactly where I wanted to be. Her course gave me all the little insider details I needed to know in order develop a serious strategy that launched my blog.

Since investing in her course, I've taken many others that have deepened my knowledge of blogging, entrepreneurship, social media, and more areas of interest.

How to Find Mentorship

There are so many courses and coaches out there that it can be hard to find one that fits. Not every person learns the same way, so it's important to know what works for you.

If you've already invested in a course and found it lacking, don't lose heart! Keep trying. Look for entrepreneurs, coaches, or course creators that are exactly where you want to be AND have produced the results you want. 

As previously mentioned, my favorite form of mentorship is courses. I enjoy going at my own pace, and tend to take in-depth notes so I can go back in and expand my knowledge on parts where I have questions.

This may not be for you, and that's okay! Some new business owners may not have the funds to invest in a course that's a couple thousand or even a couple hundred dollars.

No worries, you've come to the right place.

Here are a couple of different places you can find mentorship for little to no cost:

• SCORE - SCORE is a free online mentorship program for business owners that need a little guidance. They have volunteer mentors in so many industries. I've used them and I love them! They schedule regular check-ins they'll review your business plans and guide you in the right direction when you get off track. They do not, however, help you make financial decisions when it comes to business. Most coaches/mentors won't and they shouldn't. Always reach out to a financial specialist for questions about money.
  • You can find more information on them here: https://www.score.org/

• Network Locally - This is a great option, but can be tricky. Now a days, not a lot of people will mentor for free. In fact, they guard their secrets jealously. However, this is still a great option to explore when all other avenues have been exhausted. Reach out into your network, see who knows who, and try to get a meeting with a player in your industry that you can learn from. Pro-tip: In order to receive value you need to be a valuable asset. Instead of asking for mentorship, you can try asking to intern, or barter your services for theirs (make sure you have something they need).

• Follow the FREE Signs - I did this for YEARS. Almost ever entrepreneur, coach, or course creator has free guides, masterclasses, Youtube channels, or even podcasts that you can gain valuable insight from. In order to make it worth my time, I scheduled a couple of masterclasses a week, listened to podcasts on my way to and from work, and even watched to Youtube videos while at my desk. The benefit of this is it keeps you connected to people you may eventually invest in learning from at a higher level in the future.

As an entrepreneur, I make time for learning wherever I can. You can never know enough, and you'll never know where that next new thing that will take your business to new heights will come from.

A warning, be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking you don't know enough to start.

Everyone begins in the same place, and if you aren't embarrass of your first try, then you started too late. So even if you don't have mentorship right away, it's okay. You have enough to get started and the rest will follow. 

Stay the Course

There are so many things to do, new ideas, new businesses, new concepts, etc. The next best thing is always arriving. If you're always chasing what's new, you'll never get the foundation of your business off the ground.

It's important to stay firm in your first year of real business ownership. When you finally get serious, minimize distractions [PRIORITIZE!], and lean into your strategy,  you'll be amazed at what will happen for you and your business.

Be religiously attached to your plan, only making adjustments if something is not producing results. Deviating from your pre-planned strategy should be a conscious and well-thought out decision.

In closing . . .

The road to 6-figures, successful entrepreneurship, and being your own boss, is paved with failures, missed opportunities, and 10% chunks of progress. Make no mistake, it's grueling work, but if you stay the course in 2024 you'll be in a much better place than you started.

This blog post has been all about how to know what you're doing as a business owner in 2024.

So, how did I do? Like what you read?

Leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you! 

Also, check out more blog posts here:

And as always . . . . 

Stay Creative,

J.D.