How to Invest In Yourself (And Grow Your Business)

If you invest in yourself while becoming an entrepreneur, your business will grow. I know, the concept seems wild when you’re struggling (or afraid you’re going to struggle) to bring in money. Of course, it seems counterintuitive to spend money while you’re trying to earn.

When you look at it that way, it doesn’t seem logical to buy into new programs or upgrade your wardrobe.

What exactly, though, is the difference between these investments and, say, earning a college degree? Aren’t you paying for the investment in yourself so eventually you can earn more money than if you hadn’t?

So why do entrepreneurs avoid investing in themselves?

I wish I had the answer. Instead, I’ll show you three solid ways you can invest in yourself and the reasons you’ll be thrilled you did.

Investment option 1: Develop your Creativity

Most of us haven’t worked toward maximizing our own creativity. Exercises in pursuit of creative juices are often seen as frivolous or extracurricular. Poetry, painting, singing or play are all seen as habits of the broke and starving artists. In truth, we don’t see the benefit of tapping into our own personal stash of inventiveness without intentionally changing our mindset and thinking about why it might be the best idea ever.

Practically speaking, honing in on creativity allows you to come up with multiple ways to view anything: a piece of trash, the cloud floating over your house, your husband’s use of the word provocative.

But what about the business problem you’re facing for the first time?

You mean to tell me, Becky, creativity can help me come up with multiple solutions for the problems I face in my business?

Freaking right.

Need a few more ideas on where to start?

  • Gardening
  • Learn French (or Spanish, German or Italian…whatever)
  • Take a cooking class
  • Do something you’ve never done before

Investment option 2: Skill Expansion

As I first mentioned, higher education is an option here, but I don’t think it’s necessary all the time (bring out the firing squad).

You can improve your skills without years of schooling. (Plenty of development courses are out there for coaches and entrepreneurs that take much less time and are career-field specific, packing far more of a punch than gen eds at the community college.)

But skill expansion can take many forms outside of courses too: reading a book by an expert, working with your own coach on a new program, continuing to practice selling your services to current clients. Workshops and conferences not only help you gain knowledge, but they also help you grow your community and network. Articles are cool too (and YouTube videos).

Every option I’ve listed can help expand your content knowledge, but it also keeps you on top of the latest trends too.

Investment option 3: Support your mind and body

Taking care of your beautiful brain and bod will give you more of everything, ease and energy now and more time in the future. Self-care allows you to be less stressed and more strategic, and you’re going to look mighty fine in that swimsuit, sexy.

Learning new things is one way to support your mind. But learning ways to deal with the not-so-wonderful pieces of life is also a way to take care of your brain.

Exercise and healthy, nourishing foods take care of the bod. You can’t sit around at your computer ALL day and expect the girls to remain perky or your thigh gap dreams to come true (gross, by the way).

What you eat makes or breaks your energy and performance levels.

And how often you rest (read: as much as possible) helps you relax through the stress so your system doesn’t go into overdrive and blow up.

One thing most people consider enough is buying clothes that make you feel like a goddess. If you feel like you look good, you’re much more likely to take care of your body. I’m NOT implying plastic surgery or padding underwear, but there’s something to be said for wearing a skirt that makes you feel like a million bucks.

Confidence doesn’t pay attention to price tags. It just knows when it feels good.

Need more reason to spend money on yourself?

Personal investments help your career.

When you invest in yourself, you’re increasing the value your clients see in you (as your skill set and your confidence grows). If your clients see more value in your education and expertise, you’re able to earn more money.

Knowledge sets you apart from your competition, presents you as an expert, builds your confidence and brings in bank.

How Networking Brings You Bank

Are your Facebook posts hearing crickets? You put you and your company out there, attempting visibility through vulnerable posts asking for business, but nobody – literally zero people – respond to your magic.

Damn that feels like rejection.

But, more importantly, for entrepreneurs who are surviving on sales, it means your lifeline just got cut.

Networking? It’s not for schmoozers or old-school dudes in suits.

It’s for you, gorgeous (and gets results fast).

Here’s how to handle networking #likeabosslady.

Tip 1: Don’t have hidden motives

What’s the real reason you used your Facebook page as a billboard?

Because you didn’t want to make real connections.

Yes, networking exists so we can get more clients. But just like every other area of business, if people in your network only believe you seek advice to promote yourself or see them as money instead of humans, they will not work with you.

People want connections. We want to feel understood and heard and appreciated, and the companies who are best at convincing consumers they are their friends are the ones who are most successful. Because we buy in emotion, not logic, so people who feel invested in will invest in you (which brings me to tip 2).

Tip 2: No one has ever become poor by giving.

Anne Frank (the woman who first coined the words in tip 2) knew her shit (and mindset shift). The perspective we should all take is the worst thing an aspiring entrepreneur can do is be too stingy with their knowledge.

Let go of the reigns a bit, otherwise you’ll paralyze yourself.

By providing information, you position yourself as an expert and – bonus – show you want to help people. They appreciate and trust you. Rapport is one of the biggest sellers for moguls, and they didn’t get that title by keeping their mouths shut in fear someone else will steal their mojo. Plus, giving feels good (and instantly gives you the happies).

When I was preparing for the inaugural launch of CCC, I spent fifteen hours online each day, answering questions and providing free business coaching in groups like the Entrepreneur Incubator. By doing this, I showed up: proving I had the chops to run a group program and met a lot of other amazing women who have referred me their friends, even if they weren’t ready to work with me. Oh, and I’ve found plenty of women I’ve spent money on after I learned they were bosses in their industries.

I could save blog posts for my paying clients, but how can I get people to sign on when they don’t know how fucking awesome I am?

Tip 3: Be Yourself

While there might be thousands of other coaches who offer the same services as you, nobody does it the exact same way as you. Being yourself, telling your truth, is what differentiates you (an automatic way to set yourself apart).

It takes seven interactions with a potential client for them to feel trust in you. That means seven conversations or content shares, or a mix of both. If you haven’t been your true self with them every time you’ve talked, they’ll pick up on discrepancies.

Think about it in terms of dating: people pretend to be someone else in order to impress their potential partner. However, over the course of several dates, someone starts to realize you aren’t being yourself (maybe you loved steak on your first date but later said you were a vegetarian, or something less obvious but just as contradictory).

Don’t lie about who you are. Embrace it. Don’t give people a reason to question your credibility. It’s just not worth it.

Networking skills become more complex from here, but I guarantee everyone who is killing it on social media is also pretty perfect at hitting these three first. Have a networking question or additional tip you’d like to add? Leave ‘em for me in the comments.