Everyone doubts their abilities from time to time. It is important however, not to let self doubt hold you back. You dream of having a home based business, but haven't done anything about it yet because you don't have enough confidence in your capabilities. This article looks at the most common worries facing the budding entrepreneur and how to overcome them.
1. Intelligence; you are worried that you are not bright enough to succeed in your home based business, however nothing says you have to have lots of qualifications to be successful. Some of the biggest entrepreneurs have no formal qualifications at all. Stop and think of all the good qualities you have that would stand you in good stead in starting your business.
2. Assertiveness; you are worried that you are not assertive enough to push your business forward, however there can be a fine line between being assertive and being too pushy. Who would you prefer to do business with; a nice reasonable person or a forceful one who makes you feel guilty if you don't deal with them?
3. Capital; you don't have enough cash behind you. This is not always as big an obstacle as it may initially seem to be. Many people who have large amounts of capital invest it unwisely and without sufficient thought and end up losing money. Not having vast amounts of cash means you are more likely to carefully consider how best to use it.
4. Accounting; you have never kept accounts before, but don't worry. There are now plenty of simple to use programs for your computer that will take you through account keeping. Or if you can afford it you can use an accountant.
5. Literacy; you are worried about the accuracy of your spelling. Unless your new home based business is producing novels, this will not pose a big problem. Most computer programs have spell checks and often a major part of your business communication can be done orally.
6. Fear of Failure; probably one of the most common reasons people don't follow their dreams is that they are scared to fail. Unfortunately there are no guarantees, but always remember if you don't try, you'll never get anywhere!
7. Business Rivalry; you may be concerned that you can't compete with other bigger businesses. The beauty of running a small home based business, is that you often go unnoticed by bigger business rivals thus allowing you to get on with building yours.
8. Pessimism; this is not as big a hurdle as you may think. In fact you can easily turn it into an asset. Looking for potential problems before you commit to something, means you are aware of them from the outset and can work out how best to deal with them.
9. Fear of the Unknown; you like the idea of a home based business, but you've never done anything like this before and you just don't know where to start. That shouldn't stop you. Talk to as many people as you can who have their own businesses. Go to local trade fairs and ask questions. Gather as many details as you can. That way you have as much information as possible and can make an informed decision about whether the 'unknown' is for you or not.
10. Too many Failings; everyone finds it easier to list what we're bad at. Make sure you're not underestimating the many strengths you have. Make a list of them. Talk to your friends and family and get them to add to your list. It will help boost your self esteem.
Nobody expects you to be right all of the time. Don't go into business thinking that you can't make mistakes – its part of life and it's how we learn. Use your mistakes as a learning curve, don't let them stop you trying again and watch your self confidence grow as you do it better next time!