April 2021 - Julia Ngapo Coaching

Behind the scenes as a holistic business coach

29 April, 2021 by Julia Ngapo

woman in bed on computer holistic business coach

Running your own business requires you to wear many hats. Overnight you become the doer, the CEO, and the Financial Controller of your own mini empire. Suddenly, the buck stops with you and, no matter how well prepared you were in starting on your own, that can be scary. Every business decision is yours to make and with competing priorities all shouting for your attention, it’s not long before overwhelm rears its’ head. It’s at this point that many business owners look to the services of a business coach, but not necessarily a holistic business coach. So, what’s the difference and what advantages can a holistic business coach bring to your business “table?”

Holistic Business Coach - Leadership triangle diagram

The Problems You Face in Business

It doesn’t matter whether you’re new to business or have been in business for some time, there will be times when you just won’t immediately have the answer. As I tell my clients, no one ever gave you the “How to run My Business” manual, so when issues arise it can feel overwhelming. Running a business is a lonely place. You may have been used to a busy working environment, with bosses or mentors to bounce your ideas off. You may have worked in an environment where ideas were welcomed from the whole team, so you gained from others perspective, helping you to feel part of the team, to feel a valued contributor and to grow and expand your own experience. Suddenly that’s gone and it’s just you.

My services came about because, having owned and run businesses since I was 23, I had directly experienced a lot of the issues that business owners face. I knew there was a need for coaching that focused on women in business and the specific issues that they faced. A need for supportive and authentic coaching and mentoring that championed and empowered women who wanted to create and grow a resilient, sustainable business, whilst maintaining balance in their life, feeling less guilt, less overwhelm, but needed practical know-how to make that happen.

Whilst the practical know-how is important, what I also know is that women don’t work on a purely practical level. That’s why I encompassed my training in Reiki, Seichem and Shamanic Healing into my coaching and it is that ability to offer women not only the practical, but the metal, emotional and spiritual tools they need to succeed, that makes me a holistic business coach.

Business Coach or Holistic Business Coach – What’s the difference?

Working predominantly with women, I know that many of the issues they face around business ownership stem from blocks that they have put in the way of their own business success. Issues around their worth, their pricing, their confidence, their productivity…Not to mention the dreaded imposter syndrome and inner critic.
These blocks can very often arise because of something in their life outside of business, for example, a lack of confidence or strong inner critic because they felt they “weren’t good enough” as a child.

Being a holistic business coach allows me to use the arsenal of tools that my training in energy healing gives me to get to the root of the issue and to work with my client to release the blocks they are facing. Once those blocks start to break down, the transformation can be phenomenal and impact both their personal and business life.

How Does A 1:1 Coaching Session Work?

Each client I work with is different, with specific areas that they wish to focus on, but the “framework” of a 1:1 coaching session will start with us getting to know each other. I ask lots of questions, whilst holding space for you to tell me your story, why you set up in business and where you currently are. From there, we will work together to create a plan of action, prioritising where we place our focus for the coming month. Typically, monthly coaching sessions might cover topics such as:

Business processes
Best business practice
Creating your business vision
Marketing, social media & blogging
Staffing & employee issues
Basic finance
Mindset
Time management & personal organisation
Balancing work and life

And receives actionable steps at the end of each session to work on before our next meeting.

Each 1:1 coaching client receives access to my “Catalyst for Change” course. This is a 6-week course aimed as a pre-cursor to our coaching sessions, giving you a road map to build firm foundations, both for your business and you as an individual and covering:

Current life assessment
Releasing blocks and self-audit
Identifying and understanding your values
Creating your vision of success
Self-care
Holding yourself accountable.

In addition to short training videos, you’ll also receive

Weekly meditations and visualisation exercises
Worksheets
A weekly coaching call with me to further drill down into each topic.

The Catalyst for Change course is available as a standalone product, for those who aren’t ready to commit to monthly coaching, but previous clients have found that this short course included as part of their coaching “package” helps them to gain immense clarity, enabling them to use their monthly coaching sessions more effectively and resolving issues more quickly.

Working with a business coach can be of great benefit to your business. However, the benefits of working with a holistic business coach can be felt in both your personal AND business life, helping you to not only achieve business success, but to have the confidence to explore every opportunity and the balance and resilience and to enjoy your journey, and isn’t that what life is all about?

If you’re ready to invest in yourself and your business growth then check out my holistic business coaching and mentoring services. Head here to find out how we can work together. If you’re not sure that a holistic business coach is a good match for you, then why not book a discovery call – no obligation, no hard sell, just a chat!

10 Small Business Mistakes – (And How to Avoid Them)

20 April, 2021 by Julia Ngapo

Starting a business? – Wonderful! Becoming a small business owner is a huge and courageous step. It’s rewarding and definitely a journey, but it’s also a challenge with a unique set of bumps in the road which you’ll have to navigate, no matter what your particular industry or niche. The aim of this blog is to highlight 10 of the most common small business mistakes that I see, so that you can hit the ground running and be better equipped to build a sustainable, resilient business.

So, here are 10 common small business mistakes that I’ve seen business owners make, and I talk from experience here, as many of them I’ve learned the hard way!

Underestimating Time Involved

This is a biggie and one that I think most business owners learn through experience! If you’re charging per project, for example, you must have a clear idea of exactly how long that project will take you to complete…and then add in some extra time for contingency.

The best way to estimate cost is to time yourself completing the task and then use that information to inform your rate. Once you have this down, you’ll be able to make an informed estimate on similar projects in the future.

Overpromising or Underdelivering

This is one of the most destructive small business mistakes that I see and one that could prove fatal. You should never be tempted to lie or over-emphasise what your products and services could do for a potential client.

Remember, clarity is kind to your potential customer and to you! It is far better to be open and honest in what your potential customer can expect from you. Not only does this create strong boundaries, but it saves you having to deal with disappointed customers should you fail to delver on time, because you took on too much or underestimated the work involved.

Listening to Your Inner Critic

In my blog,”3 Ways to Stand Up to Your Inner Critic” , I highlight the ways that your annoying inner voice stops you from stepping out of your comfort zone and achieving growth. Left unchecked, that pattern of negative self-talk can control you and define your actions to such an extent that it blights your move to self-employment or severely limits you when you make the move.

Thankfully, there are ways that you can quieten your inner critic and learn to master it, so those inner voices become an annoyance that you can deal with rather than the voice of doom.

Not Understanding Your Target Market

Make sure that before you launch your business, you’ve done your research on the need for your products/services. One of the most common small business mistakes that I see too frequently is where someone has a hobby and thinks they can grow a sustainable business out of it.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many successful businesses that have grown from a situation like this, but it’s imperative that you do your homework and understand your target market AND your target audience. What sets you apart from anyone else offering the same products/services and what will make someone buy from you rather than your competitor.

Never Switching Off

We’ve all seen those people on social media who wear “busyness” like a medal. But avoid this most basic of small business mistakes by setting good practices from the start! “Busyness” does not equal productivity. Feeling guilty because you’ve taken some time away from work or aren’t working every hour is a form of low-level anxiety and is best dealt with early on in your business journey.

Instead, reframe any “downtime” as a necessary part of the business process. It’s vital for the longevity of your business that you have time out and avoid the burnout that trying to work every hour will bring. You’ll often find that the time when you allow your brain to switch off is the time when you get some of your best, most creative ideas, so embrace the downtime as an important part of your business strategy.

Launching Too Quickly

There are some mistakes that can be avoided by taking your time to ensure that you have everything in place to provide the best foundations for your business. My advice here is to take time to research things like bank accounts, insurance and the like so that you have all your startup ducks in a row.

Ignoring these foundations and leaving them until you start getting clients can be a costly mistake. Here is a handy FREE checklist to ensure you have everything in place for your business.

Failing To Have Systems in Place

Even if you’re a one-man band, having appropriate systems in place is the only way to create a scalable business. With effective systems, you’ll get things done quicker and more efficiently, with predictable and stable results, rather than the constant “reinventing the wheel” of having no systems and the resulting variance and instability which that will bring.

As your business grows, so you’ll be able to tweak and improve your processes to grow with your business. Basic examples of processes include billing, payroll, HR, operating and maintaining equipment. Save yourself some time and headaches by getting these in place at the beginning and tweaking and streamlining as your business grows.

Doing Everything Yourself

We all know the saying, “No man is an island” and that has never been truer than when starting or running a business. But, although doing everything in your business saves time, it also follows that, as your business grows, so you’ll have less and less time to focus on the tasks that only you can do, whilst you struggle to keep up with the bookkeeping, general admin or marketing of your business.

When you’re hard-pressed to get everything done “in” and “on” your business, it makes sense to bring in some expert help.
For a small business owner, the benefits of outsourcing those tasks that you are not expert at to another freelancer who is are many.

Not Getting Paid On Time

Chasing invoices for payment is time-consuming and frustrating in equal measure. Whilst you largely can’t control when suppliers and customers will pay their bills, not having processes in place to generate and send invoices in a timely fashion is a costly small business mistake.

Depending upon your accounting software of choice, you may also be able to automate the sending of reminders once invoices go past their due date. In addition, have a series of template emails you can quickly fire off to remind suppliers and customers that their payment is overdue.

No Future Plan

In fact, one of the most common small business mistakes is failing to plan at all. A business plan doesn’t have to be complex, it simply needs to specify your operation costs, what you intend to offer to the marketplace, how much you envisage selling, who your target market is and what sets you apart, your “USP”.

But, more than this, you also need to have a vision of your future business – that is, what it will look like in , say, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years’ time. Without this and having “success markers” along the way, it is impossible to know whether you are any closer to reaching your goals. You can download a FREE business vision workbook to aid you here

Whilst your business is your “baby”, it’s important to realise that no successful business is built by one person alone. If you want to avoid these and more costly small business mistakes, you’ll need to surround yourself with a team, including a business coach or mentor. They will be able to hep you stay accountable, to remain focused on the areas necessary to grow your business and to navigate the bumps in your business journey to ensure you grow that successful business and enjoy the process!

If you’re ready to invest in your business growth and to discover for yourself how I can help you grow a sustainable business that you’ll love, then follow the link to book your call today.

3 Ways to Stand Up to Your Inner Critic – Do You Listen to Your Inner Critic or Inner Brave?

13 April, 2021 by Julia Ngapo

inner critic woman staring at reflection

We all have that inner critic; that pattern of negative self-talk that can control us and define our actions…if we let it.

You know, the inner voice who constantly tells you that you’re not good enough, thin enough, clever enough, worthy of love, worthy of attention. The voice that perpetually asks, “who do you think you are?” For most of us, that voice really has a lot to say.

But, how much better is a life built on our own terms? One where the inner voice may still exist, but one where we know how and when to tell it to shut up?

Here are three ways that you can stand up to your inner critic.

1. Journal.

Keep a pen and paper handy and write down every unsupportive thought you have in a day. You’ll probably see the same one or a theme emerging.

Next, read the list back to yourself. Try and remember where this negative thought originated from – was it some throw-away remark someone made to you or even an event when you were a child? Or perhaps something you were told by a partner in a past relationship?

By identifying the source, you may be able to see that these thoughts are received, rather than perceived, i.e. they came from someone else. If this is the case, then, rather than spending energy getting angry with that person or situation, spend some time understanding that their criticism of you is their problem, not yours. We can only ever control our own thoughts and actions, how someone else reacts is their problem!

“Winning the war of words inside your soul means learning to defy your inner critic” Steven Furtick

2. Question.

This is a simple, but effective technique that relies upon listening to your intuition. When you find yourself listening to that inner criticism, then ask yourself two questions:

“Is this the truth”? If the answer is “no”, then you will know that this is just a negative thought, generated by fear. If the answer is “yes”, then ask the second question.

“Show me the evidence”. In all likelihood, this is where that annoying inner voice will struggle to come up with concrete evidence.

3. Reframe.

Instead of giving in to that inner critic’s voice, try to reframe your beliefs to something supportive instead. An example of this might be where your inner voice tells you, “Sarah is so much better than me at X”, try reframing this to “Sarah’s strengths are x, but I excel at y and z”.

Positive thought has a big role to play in this reframing. Our brains are complex things and are constantly looking for evidence to bear out our thoughts. Put simply, what the conscious side of our mind believes and accepts, our subconscious takes as instruction and starts to manifest in our lives and bring that thought into our reality.

You can, therefore, see how easy it is for a subconscious to “latch on” to a negative belief and start to make that our reality!

These are three simple tips that will help you recognize negative thoughts not as reality but as your own perception of reality, and those two things are entirely different.

Practice identifying those negative thoughts, that inner critic and then controlling them. You’ll find the voice becomes less strong and will be overtaken by a positive voice, which will become your biggest ally.

“Your Inner critic loves to tell you all the reasons you can’t. You are powerful enough to NEVER need to explain the ONE reason you will: you’re YOU”

Is your inner critic contributing to imposter syndrome? Have a read of my blog, “How to overcome imposter syndrome here

Remember, if your Inner Critic has too much to say and you would like help in banishing it, then why not book a Power Hour. I can give you the techniques I use to quieten your unsupportive voice, help you regain control and move forwards.