On my Facebook newsfeed and in the many Internet marketing newsletters I receive, I see coaching programs that may be guilting people into believing they are doing something wrong if they aren’t earning tons of money.

The problem I see with these programs is not the programs themselves but that people tend to get sucked into the allure of a high income without knowing why they went into business in the first place. How about you? Have you been thinking that there is something wrong with you because you haven’t earned six or seven figures in your business yet?

Since we all have different skill sets, experience, and values it’s ill advised to follow coaching advice until you gain an intimate knowledge of exactly why you went into business. So, before you start suffering from self-esteem issues because you can’t figure out why you aren’t achieving certain money goals, realize that each of us aren’t in business for the same reasons.

I’ve identified three different types of people and the reason they would have for starting a business. It’s important to know which one you are when building a business model and base your income goals on a life you want to create. You will see that only one has an inherent value that requires a really large income stream.

The Empire Builders
These people are the ones who love business. They usually desire to build something big to leave a legacy when they are gone or to sell the business and start something new. They don’t mind working long hours and see business as a game or something to master.

The Freedom Lovers
These people create businesses because they desire a lifestyle that is flexible, mobile and fun. They want to travel, meet new people, and work when and where they want to work. Work blends in with their personal life and they consider owning a business a way to enjoy life to the maximum without the nine to five grind.

The Altruistic Visionaries
These people create businesses to make a difference. Whether it’s people, pets, the environment or health they either have a cause or have a passion to help someone or something. They may start a non-profit business, an association, or for profit business to further their cause.

Only the Business Builders have a true, innate drive to build a large business. If you don’t love the idea of working lots of hours, investing heavily into your business, and managing lots of people this style is probably not for you. The Freedom Lovers and Altruistic Visionaries would be happiest if they built a business that would cover their business and household expenses and allow them to invest for the future. Occasionally altruistic visionaries create large organizations but they usually believe that their business has to operate on a larger scale to further their cause and reach.

Knowing what you value in life is an important part of creating a business and a desired lifestyle. Before going a step further in your business look at the above styles and figure out which style best fits you. Then you can create realistic income goals that fit the way you want to work and the lifestyle you want to live. When it’s time to hire a coach you’ll know if they can get you where you want to go and you won’t waste time and money building something you don’t desire.

Sherrie Koretke, Niche Clarity Coach. Certified Professional Career Coach, Law of Attraction Specialist, Small Business Coach and Consultant. Visit her at sherriekoretke.com

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Share  Yesterday I wrote about finding your passion and how in business leading with the right passion will bring you more success. You can read that post here.

A while back I wrote a different post about where to find that passion. It’s in the subjects that get you all fired up and prone to rant about. What I mean by rants is those passionate discussions you get in after you see a news report or hear about somebody struggling or being victimized.

I think it’s important everyone does a little soul searching and discover what that topic is and why it really bothers them. Within that topic is a personal pain that has gone unrecognized within you.

Today I want you to pledge to narrow down who you are helping in your business and why so I’m giving away a free certificate you can download with no opt in required.

Here’s an idea on how to get started finding and serving your tribe:

• Read the blog postFeel Passion for Your Business?
• Read the blog post How Your Rants Are the Fuel Behind Your Niche.
• Grab some paper and write about the subject you love to rant about.
• Write down the description of the people who are affected by the injustice you feel.
• Ask yourself “Are any of these people my current clients or customers?”
• Write down in what way you can serve this group of people or ways you can in the future.
• Download the Business Tribe Certificate and print it out.
• Start your commitment to your business tribe by signing the certificate.
• Hang it somewhere you can see it and refer back to it when you get lost in your business and you forget

That’s it! Let me know how it goes. And don’t hesitate to ask any questions about your tribe. I’m here to help! I love hearing your stories. Please leave a comment about your tribe and how you will or are serving them.

Sherrie Koretke, The Niche Clarity Coach

This is the second part of the post that continues from Why Your Brand is Confused

So you want to be a superstar in your field. Or maybe you just want a business that consistently brings in money each month.  Knowing who you are and where you are going is vital. In my last post I promised a list of what you need to know about yourself before you start building a brand. Let’s start from the very beginning, a step frequently missed or overlooked because it requires  . . . internal work.

Here’s some things you need to know about yourself to develop a personal brand, or what I like to call Your Signature Niche.

1. Are you introverted or extroverted?
2. Are you bold and decisive or contemplative?
3. Do you want to build a big business or lifestyle business?
4. Are you a big picture type of person or do you love the details?
5. Do you know if you are meant to teach, heal, motivate or build something?
6. What is your life path and what are you meant to do in this lifetime?
7. Why do you want to be in business?
8. What do you value in business and life in general?
9. Who would you most like to help?
10. What past pains contribute to your career path and which are distracting you from your career path?
11. How big of a playing field do you want? Local, state, country, the world?
12. Where do you work best? In an office? On stage? Outdoors?

OK I’ll stop for now. When I started writing this list I think I could go on and on. I hope you get the general direction I am going in. Here’s an idea. Do you journal? Set aside some time and journal about you. Not your problems and wishes but what you want in life. Get a clear picture of who you are and write it down. Pay attention to your personal style and relate that to the business you want to grow.

All this month I will be posting about the different aspects of your signature niche so keep coming back! If you don’t want to miss anything subscribe to this blog by filling out the form to the right.

Sherrie Koretke, The Niche Clarity Coach

In my last blog post I talked about discovering the reason why you are running your business. I also mentioned finding a coach that matched your entrepreneurial style. So, next I thought I would give you five steps to finding the right business/marketing coach to help you achieve the type of business and lifestyle you want.
Step One
If you haven’t yet, read my blog post on the three different entrepreneurial styles and determine which one fits the type of goals you have for your business and your life.

Step Two
Next, research coaches/mentors by subscribing to their newsletters and downloading any available freebies.

Step Three
Look past the hype of the programs they are promoting and look for their underlying message. What is the business style and results they are promising with their products and services?

Step Four
Determine which coaches match your entrepreneurial style the most. Ask yourself:
For Business Builders: Will they show you how to grow your business to a large scale profitably?
For Lifestyle/Freedom Lovers: Will they show you how to run a business and still have the lifestyle you desire?
For Altruistic Visionaries: Will they show you how to be compassionate without burning out when running your
business?

Step Five
After you narrow down the coaches who closely match your style pay attention to their claims and testimonials. Use your intuition to determine if the coach or mentor is someone you would like work with and you can trust. Also research whether they live the life and the business style they are promoting.

There is no right or wrong in which type of business you start. It’s up to you. Just make sure you have it very clear what you want, where you want to go and get the right help when needed. Starting and running a business that doesn’t match your life mission and goals will most likely leave you dissatisfied at the very least and financially ruined at the very most.

Sherrie Koretke, Niche Clarity Coach. Certified Professional Career Coach, Law of Attraction Specialist, Small Business Coach and Consultant. Visit her at sherriekoretke.com

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