On Wednesday evenings from 8 to 8:30pm ET, the Indie Business Network hosts #MakerBizChat, an Instagram event to help Makers and Handmade Entrepreneurs build a solid business foundation, increase your income, and use your business to create the life you love. Our guest this week was ME, Donna Maria!
Our topic last night is near and dear to my heart, for before anyone can be successful in business, they must embrace an entirely new way of thinking. This way of thinking is often called an “entrepreneurial mindset.” This can be a shock to many, so our chat this week was designed to introduce new entrepreneurs to the concept, and to reinforce the importance of mindset for those of us who have been around for a while.
Q1: WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT MINDSET MUSTS FOR MAKERS?
1 – You are not a hobbyist. You are not a crafter. Hobbyists and crafters make things, but they don't have to make a profit. Your first Maker Mindset Must is to stop calling yourself a hobbyist or crafter.
2 – Stop thinking only in terms of what you like to make. Think in terms of what people want, and what they will exchange their hard earned money for.
3 – Be positive. Always. Keep your bad days within your inner circle of people you trust. People want to do business with people who bring positivity into their lives. Make sure that when people mention you, they have every reason to do so in a positive light.
Q2: HOW DO I BEGIN TO CULTIVATE MY ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET?
1 – Be teachable. Every experience is designed to teach you something. Set aside time every day to read something new and inspiring that trains you in the ways of the entrepreneur.
2 – A few good books to help you cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset: “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh of @zappos | “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy of @succssmagazine | “Start With Why” by @simonsinek
3 – Set and track goals. Want to increase your Instgram followers? Set a goal and take action. Track the actions and repeat the ones that feed your goal. Ditch the rest.
4 – Doing this over and over again in all aspects of business will help you cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset.
Q3: WHAT KIND OF MONEY MINDSET WILL HELP ME THE MOST?
1 – Money is important, but not the most important part of creating a successful business. Money simply represents opportunity — opportunity to take a class, take a trip, buy a house, or make more money.
2 – You can always make more money. Focus more on what you want money to do for you, and you'll always be hungry for the sale.
3 – The more hungry you are for the sale, the more sales-driven action you will take. The more sales driven action you take, the more sales you will enjoy. The more sales you enjoy, the more experiences you can make your money produce for you!
Q4: WHAT IS THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE MINDSET TO MAINTAIN?
1 – Be happy if your inbox is full! This means people are reaching out to you and that you are on their radar. What a blessing to have people emailing you about your products all the time!
2 – Answer every email, Tweet and tag. Yes, this is time consuming, but it shows that you are listening and that you respect others. If you need to hire a virtual assistant to help you, then do that.
3 – Pay special attention to your best customers. Surprise treats in the mail, “I'm thinking of you email messages,” the occasional bouquet of flowers — whatever is appropriate for your business and your budget.
Q5: WILL AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET ATTRACT LUCRATIVE COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES?
1 – Yes. People want to be around positive people who value them. If you reflect that time of mindset, people will naturally be attracted to you.
2 – Your entrepreneurial mindset will help you sustain your current business, and it will also pave the way for future revenue streams as people see you as a leader in your industry.
3 – The more you grow and strengthen your entrepreneurial mindset, the more prepared you will be to meet the challenges of business growth head on. Fewer situations will overwhelm you, and you'll be able to power through difficulties, and turn failures into victories!
When Is The Next #MakerBizChat?
The next #MakerBizChat will be Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at 8pm ET.
Our guest will be Cassie Boorn, and our topic will be HOW TO ADD REVENUE STREAMS TO YOUR MAKER BUSINESS.
#MakerBizChat takes place here at MakerBizChat on Instagram. Be sure to follow so you can catch all of the questions and participate in the live and lively discussion.
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If you enjoyed #MakerBizChat, you may also like Indie Business Podcast! Hosted and produced by Donna Maria, Indie Business Podcast brings you interviews with successful and influential people in the Maker and Handmade Entreprenurial Community. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to episodes here at the blog.
