This week, I am handing the blog over to Sam Trim of Boost and Bloom for a guest blog called “Dirty Money” and about our money mindset.  

If you’re a woman entrepreneur, it’s likely that at some point you’ve been made to feel guilty about wanting or making money.

“Money is the root of all evil,” they say.

But what if we reframed the conversation around money in a more positive light?

Money is not a dirty word. It’s simply a tool that we can use to create the life we want.

It can help you do things that are important to you – like starting and running your own business. Money doesn’t have to be a scary thing, and it definitely doesn’t mean that you are “selling out” or “being selfish”.

Do you find yourself sometimes hesitating to even say the word “money?”. Do you get the ‘ick’ when it comes to the part in your sales conversation where you have to discuss fees?

Don’t be ashamed! Money is a powerful word that can hold a lot of meaning for different people.

For some, money represents freedom and power. For others, it can evoke feelings of greed or guilt. No matter how you feel about it, if you’re running your own business, money is an essential part of your success.

So don’t be afraid to talk about it! Lean into your relationship with money and learn to embrace all that it has to offer. With the right attitude, you can use money to create the life you want and achieve your goals.

So let’s look at some of those money mindset problems that hold so many of us back!

1. No one will pay that much for my services

There’s a reason brands like Cartier and Chanel exist. Because there is always a market that will pay high-end. I bought a floor mop recently. I could have bought the £3.99 one from Amazon, but I chose the 5 x more expensive Vileda mop – because, although it essentially did the same job, it looks nicer and meant I didn’t have to squeeze it out.

The same with your service. Whatever it is, there will be cheaper options elsewhere, just like there are more expensive options with others that work in the same space as you.

But there’s an audience for all 3 of those levels. Just make sure you speak to yours. And remember, we’re not just selling a product or service-we’re selling ourselves/our brand. Sometimes, that is priceless.

2. I can’t afford it

I hear this one all the time. ‘I can’t afford to hire any staff right now’. ‘I can’t afford to invest in that software right now’.

How’s that approach going for you, right now? It is an excuse. That might sound harsh, but if you tell yourself you can’t afford something, then you believe it.

When you are thinking about a big purchase, often the thought process is ‘well I need to make X amount of money first before I can then purchase X.’ When really, you need to reframe that thinking to ‘by purchasing X it will enable me to X which in turn will allow me to grow my business’.

If you want something different, if you want to earn more and grow your business, you have to do something different.

3. To earn more money, I have to work harder

Now don’t get me wrong, when I first started out and over the years I have grafted pretty hard. But when I hit an income ceiling, I realised it wasn’t about working harder, but leveraging.

If you work towards leveraging your time and building a business based on processes that your team can easily follow, then you can focus on those money making activities, and leave the team to do the rest. If you don’t have a team (yet) that doesn’t mean you can’t work towards that leverage mindset. Also, see point 1 if you thought ‘I can’t afford a team’.

4. My family have never had a lot of money and they managed

This is something that will either motivate you and propel you forward, or will hold you back. I’m sure you have read about one millionaire or another that came from poverty. They took that feeling and used it to drive them forward in their business goals.
Then there are others that will let their past hold them down. They view money as something that has never been in abundance in their family, and it’s served them ok.

5. It’s selfish to want to earn more money

Do you live paycheck to paycheck? How fun is that? Exactly. It’s not. I’ve been there. Not making a purchase because I’m waiting for payday to roll round.

Wanting to earn more is not only a good thing – you can then feed and house yourself and your family without worrying about how you’re going to pay all the other bills, but it allows you to serve more people. Whether that is in the form of the services you deliver through your business, or perhaps donating a % of your earnings to charity. Is that a selfish thing to do?

6. My partner wants to be the breadwinner

I’m sorry – but what decade are we living in?! I’ve been the breadwinner in my house since 2012 and have no plans to stop. If your partner has a problem with you earning more than them, have a gentle conversation with them. Why does it make them feel insecure? If they themselves want to earn more, what are their money mindset issues? There’s no reason why you both can’t be earning good money. And there’s definitely no reason why you shouldn’t be the main income earner.

So, you need to decide what type of person you are. One who views money with scarcity, or one who views it with abundance. If you are the former, and work and live with the mindset of ‘there’s never quite enough money’, then that is exactly how it will play out.

If you are the latter, and have an abundance mindset, then what you put out there into the world will come back. You might not be rolling around in piles of cash yet, but with this mindset, when you need it, it will be there. Having this mindset also removes many limiting beliefs and will allow your business to grow.

Instead of:
I don’t have enough in my bank to pay for that right now’

Try:
I want to pay for that on Wednesday, what can I do to ensure that payment is made on time’.

Instead of:
No one will pay that for my coaching

Try:
There’s a perfect audience out there who will benefit hugely from my services and will happily pay my fee

Instead of:
My family survived on bare minimum so I can do the same

Try:
While my family got by on the basics, I want to be able to thrive, not just survive.

Positive affirmations

They go a long way so say them outloud:

Money allows me to do things that make me happy.

Money allows me to provide financial security

Money allows me to treat myself and be the best version of me.

So, don’t be ashamed to want more money. In fact, tell the universe, and see what comes back 🙂

Meet Sam

Sam is owner of Boost and Bloom, combining VA and OBM services, with funnel and automation strategy.

Boost and Bloom was born at the start of 2016 and it’s gone from strength to strength.

Servicing clients here in the UK and internationally, Sam and the team help with 6-figure launches and help clients grow to £1m+ businesses.

As a mum to 3 young children and a wife too, Sam knows how important it is to have a business that truly works for you…and that you love.  This is the drive behind us – empowering women to build a business that enables them to live a life of abundance.