Betsy & Warren Talbot: The Top 3 Business Tips for New Entrepreneurs

Betsy and Warren Talbot describe themselves as Freedom Fighters, working to help people shed what’s holding them back so they can leap forward in life, love, and career. Their latest multimedia course, Declutter Clinic, shows how to create a home that supports your biggest lifestyle goals, including starting your own business.

They’ve been traveling the world together since 2010, and they share the wisdom they’ve learned from this dangerous endeavor (being together 24/7, not traveling the world!) in their upcoming book, The 24/7 Relationship. Find out more at their website, Married with Luggage.

What are the top 3 most important tips & advice can you offer to new entrepreneurs struggling with motivation?

Start.

Whether you’re talking about the business in general or your next great idea within your existing business, you have to start. Every day that you fail to take action is a day you’ll delay on getting it to the market. So many entrepreneurs talk about what they’re going to do and never get around to actually doing it (or they talk about it so much they talk themselves out of it). Those that are most successful are actually out there doing it. So don’t be a talker, be a doer. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how fast it comes together.

We’ve always been quick starters, and when we have an idea we run with it. When we decided to create a podcast, we brainstormed some ideas and show topics, ordered a mic, and created a format for the show. Then we recruited our first couple of guests and started recording within a week of the original idea. We’re almost 6 months in to a weekly show now and can’t believe how fast it came together.

Our Advice: Don’t be the guy who keeps talking about building a new website, starting a podcast, writing a book, releasing a product, or starting a service. Be the guy who announces that it’s live.

Set a Deadline

If you aren’t the strictest boss you’ve ever had, you aren’t doing yourself any favors. When it comes to pitching your business to clients or the media, creating new products/services, or writing the blog posts that will get you noticed as an expert, you can’t keep putting it off just because you’re the boss. Set a deadline and then keep it.

People always wonder why we get so much done, and it’s because we set and meet deadlines for every single project we do. When we started writing our last course, Declutter Clinic, we already had the release date on the calendar. When you work for yourself, there is a relief in knowing what needs to be done each day to meet your long-term goals. Far from being constricting, it actually frees you up to do your best work…and enjoy more free time.

A Bonus Tip: Do the work on your biggest projects every morning before email and social media, because once you check those your best concentration time is over.

Our Advice: Set deadlines for all your projects and keep them.

Ask for More

If you aren’t hearing “NO” several times a week, you aren’t asking for enough. Being an entrepreneur means hustling…a lot. No one is going to give you an opportunity if you don’t ask for it. No one is going to see the value of your business unless you are willing to put it out there. “No” is a good sign because it means you’re pushing against the boundaries. It seems pointless to start your own business if you aren’t ready to push the limits and get more than you did with your last paycheck.

We meet a lot of people, and we often ask what we can do to help them move their business forward a bit. We’re shocked at the number of people who don’t have an answer for that when we’re ready and willing to help. Because you can bet when they ask us we have at least 2 requests ready…”who can you connect us to for _____” or “can you help us promote _____.”

Keeping up with your network and regularly asking for what you need means your business will grow faster than you imagined. And you’ll also be seen as a connector when you do the same for other people. Connectors attract great business opportunities.

Our Advice: Always have an ask. (And be sure to return the favor.)