The #1 Excuse You Will Hear

“I can’t afford it!!”

We’ve all heard it before. And overcoming that objection is a very important skill that every client-based entrepreneur needs to master. (Barb Wade  

Business Coach and Mentor) 

But here’s an important question: how often do you use that same excuse?

You see, before you can help any prospective client out of money fear and into the greater possibilities that working with you represents, you must overcome that objection within yourself.  

As an entrepreneur, you are called upon to make numerous decisions everyday. Some are relatively trivial, and some are hugely significant. And one of the biggest challenges we face is knowing how to make financial decisions. 

Whether you are making a calculated decision or taking a leap of faith, eventually it will come down to trusting yourself. And risking making a mistake. And risking being successful!  

Do you see where I’m going with this? Within your own business, trotting out the  “I can’t afford it” excuse, may actually be a cover for the very real fear of making the wrong decision, or looking like a fool, or failing. It can even be a way of avoiding making any decision at all! (Of course, we all know that no decision is as bad as wrong decisions ;) 

This can be tricky stuff, so here are a few sneaky places the self-defeating mindset behind “I can’t afford it” might show up in your business.  

Doing Everything "On the Cheap." Every successful entrepreneur has had to put time, sweat AND money into their business. And there’s a big difference between being frugal and being "cheap." Small business loans can come from a lot of places besides banks: a savings account, a day job (for now), a generous relative, or a home equity line of credit (we did this one!) for example.  

No Visible Means of Support. Part of what makes you a great entrepreneur is that self-reliant, boot-strapping, can-do attitude. It can also be how you can fool yourself into thinking you can do it all yourself. But when the bank account gets low, the first thing to go is often your coaching and guidance. Experience has taught me that when I was at my lowest was when I needed my own coach the most – not when I was riding high! Help and support are not luxuries, they are lifesavers!  

Not Paying Yourself. This may sound contradictory, but you can’t sink everything back into your business. There are many reasons why you need to have a separate business bank account (and they are not expensive!) but one that, in the beginning, may be more symbolic is so you can write yourself a paycheck. That may sound silly, but it’s about the flow of energy and your mindset. The amount is really unimportant. Just do it. It’s a way of tangibly rewarding yourself for hard work well done. (And while you’re at it, buy yourself a latte or something.) 

And here’s one more secret I want to share with you: the sooner you conquer the fear-based instances of "I can’t afford it" in your own life, the less and less you will hear it while enrolling new clients (really!)