We procrastinate and are fearful of starting because we lack purpose, clarity and a plan to implement. We try to take shortcuts because all the advertising tells us everything is quick and easy on the internet. That just isn’t true. An internet business is no different to a brick and mortar business … you have to take it seriously and treat it like a business. Like any business there is a chance that things won’t work out. But with the right preparation we can limit considerably our chances of anything going wrong, and this is particularly true if you are going into business for the first time.

When you leave the rigid structure of the 9-5 treadmill and set up your own business, it can take time for you to realize you are the chief cook and bottle washer … in other words it’s all up to you. You make all the big decisions, financial and otherwise, you take all the risks … the buck stops at you. This sounds more frightening than it really is, people set up businesses every day, what distinguishes those who succeed from those who don’t is the planning and preparation before the business launch. People tend to concentrate on the programme, product or service they are going to use to start their business, they are overly concerned about choosing the right one. What they fail to consider is themselves … are they ready for their new role as business owner? If you’re going to do something you’ve never done before, like starting an online business, you’re going to have to become someone you’ve never been before. That’s where the preparation comes in.

There has never been a better time to start a business than now. The Internet, technology and software have all advanced to the point where starting a business is much, much simpler than most people believe. It’s not easy, it takes determination and effort. Through the internet your market can be local or global, the choice is yours. The job market has become insecure, unstable and unpredictable. On top of that up to 80% of people who are employed are not even happy in the jobs they’re in. With mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, the Covid 19 pandemic, artificial intelligence, robots … no one’s job is a sure bet, anyone from the janitor to the president could get laid off at any time. This is why people are resigning and setting up their own businesses in record numbers. The Pandemic also showed us the benefits of working from home, with flexibility in working hours and no grueling commute.

I started online several years ago when I got laid-off in my early sixties. I found the transition from a corporate environment to the online world more daunting than I expected. I was conscious of my age and spent sleepless nights questioning whether I had what it takes to become a solopreneur. Doubts, fears and limiting beliefs started to surface which took me completely by surprise. This shouldn’t have been me with all the experience, wisdom and knowledge I had accumulated during my long and varied career. But these doubts and fears can haunt anyone. The solution was simple, but not easy, I had to take time to reflect on myself, my life, my accomplishments and make an effort to prepare myself for my new role as business owner. To say that preparation was worthwhile is an understatement. But most would-be business owners don’t realize they have to take this critical step. That’s why I developed a simple 5 step programme and decided to become a coach to help all those affected by the current job market crisis make the transition and prepare themselves to become successful business owners without all the stress, trials, tribulations and hurdles I had to endure.

Transformational coaching is all about enabling Self-Actualization although the term is widely mis-used to describe any change as a result of personal development. Transformational coaching takes a deep dive into a person’s psyche, focusing on who that person really is and who they want to become. Most coaching is concerned with learning to do things in a different way while remaining in the existing way of being. Transformational coaching attempts to shift and expand the way of being to achieve its results. It seeks to take a person to a higher plane, to a more elevated state of self-awareness and consciousness. Transformational coaching asks the question “Who do I chose to become and how do I have to grow to embody that new person”? It enables you to shed all the constraints and misbeliefs you have acquired since childhood and release a new you fashioned after your true essence and desires as a contributing human being.