Fear of the unknown is a natural reaction–especially when you have your own business. We define fear as a natural response when we are faced with the unknown. We tend to feel anxious and are triggered by what is popularly known as a fight or flight response. While this is a normal reaction, we need to learn how to manage it and manipulate it to work to our benefit in a business setting.

Fear can be crippling and prevent business owners from taking reasonable risks if they let it control them. But how can you use your fear to grow instead?

Use Fear to Make You Grow

While fear can be paralyzing, using it when operating your own business can help you understand where your shortcomings are. There is nervousness and doubt when we are looking to scale our business by trying new marketing campaigns, cold calling, or adopting a new skill that we did not have before. But what should your fear create? Drive.

Fear will make you work harder. Fear will make you keep trying because the last thing that you want is to fail. Nothing, really, will make a business owner work harder than the fear of failure. With fear, business owners are more careful and more calculated. They make sure to cross their T’s and dot their I’s. They look at ways to optimize their passion, strengths, and opportunities to create fulfillment.

Businesses Are Hard, Especially at the Start

CNBC did a great article on this. They discuss the most common fears and why it is important to overcome them:

Competition
Low Margins
Higher Salaries for Better Workers
The Unknown

These fears are common when operating your own business. Business owners across the board–experienced and non-experienced–can confirm that they do not make the same each month. Some months are really good, and others are tough and resemble the Saharah desert. Lack of income creates anxiety and the false belief that we are actual failures.

Fear Can Feed the Right and Also the Wrong

Imposter Syndrome

Probably the worst way fear can impact our ability to perform is if it causes Imposter Syndrome. We all suffer something called impostor syndrome at some point during business ownership. Impostor syndrome is defined as a feeling that your accomplishments are worth less than what they actually are. Interestingly enough, imposter syndrome and fear are well connected because one feeds into the other. Check out our blog that dives into impostor syndrome imposter syndrome and see just how they relate to each other.

Competition

As humans, we value what we bring to the table because, as a community, everyone serves a purpose to society. Especially when working in a competitive market, we want to be the best at what we do, often ignoring the smaller accomplishments that are worthwhile to business growth. Competition is natural in our business world. It is necessary to have a healthy market. As business owners, we need to embrace our competition and learn what is working for them, identify what skills they have that are better than ours, and their connections. Once these parts are identified, you can create a plan to change your business operations. Do not let the fear of competition bulldoze you out of trying.

Have You Felt Fear?

Fear is a normal feeling when it comes to trying new. Especially if starting a business, there is more at risk than just a connection or a view of one’s personal value. Businesses take time, money, and a slew of needed skills that most of us do not have at the start but definitely gain or hire with time.

Diana Alexia Creations is dedicated to helping other businesses grow by taking on their content writing needs. Need someone to help you write a blog or refresh a webpage? Social media posts? We are here to help. Check out our services today.