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As good as being your own boss sounds, with that freedom comes a big responsibility to you and to your clients. No longer can you count on some company's brand to bring in the big bucks. You're on your own, and you have to learn how to create your own brand and marketing strategies. It's up to you to make your business work. You can get a business degree and hire good coaches and advisors, but at the end of the day it's only you and your creativity that is going to make your business successful or not. So, what makes some businesses work and some not? Frequently it comes down to getting past the fear. It comes down to not being afraid to put who you are front and center knowing that some people will like who you are, and some people won't . . .

We are working with several new customers in our construction business. Nice people with money to spend, looking for the right contractor to provide them the right service. Yes, they are still out there, contrary to what you might be reading and hearing. Yet we have had general contractors calling us looking for work. What's the difference between their "business" and ours?

If you're struggling to get your business into the black, it may be time to do some soul searching. If you're frustrated and stressed because you haven't figured out how to make it work for you, here are 3 tips that can help you move out of the past and into a new way of thinking.

1. Be Yourself. No matter what your occupation, you have unique gifts and talents that need to be expressed, and no one else can express them in the same way you will. Your business is your vehicle to touch people's lives and fulfill your desire to express yourself at the same time. If you want to leave this world knowing you had no music left in you to give, be sure you are honoring yourself by expressing the gifts that make you the happiest. When you're happy it becomes a pleasure to serve others. Things like customer service are not an issue because you naturally enjoy what you're doing and want to give the best that you can. If you don't enjoy what you're doing enough to give your best, you're doing yourself a disservice and it will show in your interaction with your potential customers.

2. Share the Wealth. As you share the wealth you'll open yourself up to even greater prosperity and fulfillment. Sharing the wealth doesn't mean just money. Giving of your ideas, time, kindness, hugs, or your smiles are just as important as money. Sometimes those things are all that matters. Any hospice nurse can tell you that there are times that money means nothing. As you participate in the circle of giving, you enrich all of life, including your own. I know the more I give of my inspired ideas, the more ideas I have. If I get too busy and don't take the time to think about and express those ideas, they fade into the background, and I begin to feel like I'm not creative and have nothing to offer. Always nurture and take time to let your gifts flow and express them in whatever way you feel compelled. As you give of yourself, more ideas and inspiration will flow and your business will grow as you act on these ideas.

3. Take Action. Act on your inspired ideas. It may be overwhelming to fit them all into our life. The secret is to take them one small step at a time. List the three most important things you can do each day to move your business forward, and act on them one at a time. If something doesn't get done, move it to the next day without guilt, which stifles your creativity. You will find if you do the most important things each day, your business will progress just as it should.

The key to creating an authentic business is to be you -- not your coach or mentor. Step back and take time to discover what you have to offer and then give it in your own unique way and most of all -- listen to and trust your inner voice.