For small business owners and entrepreneurs, confidence is key. Not only does confidence give you the faith required to start and scale a business, but it also underpins your customers’ decision to work with you.
But confidence isn’t just something you can pull from thin air. It has to be built and maintained. Here we look at how that’s done, including:
- What confidence really indicates about you and your business
- How to create that confidence, both personally and in the customers who work with you
- Why confidence relates to having clarity about your business purpose and ideal customer
The Fragile Nature of Confidence
Confidence is often misunderstood. It isn’t a garment you can simply pull from your wardrobe and wear when needed.
Nor is it a shield that masks self-doubt. Rather, confidence is cultivated, layer by layer, through effort, intention, and understanding.
Many believe time alone builds confidence. While time plays a role, it’s not the core factor. Time is simply the backdrop against which we take action.
It is through those actions, consistently undertaken over time, that we begin to trust ourselves and, by extension, appear confident to others.
The Common Routes People Take
There’s no shortage of advice on building confidence. Common suggestions include recalling past successes, setting goals, reading inspirational material, or affirming one’s capabilities. These methods aren’t without merit; they help. But they often only scratch the surface.
Setting goals, for example, can backfire if they’re not appropriate to your current mindset. Goals that are too ambitious may lead to failure and further erode your confidence.
On the other hand, goals that are too small might feel meaningless, offering little satisfaction upon completion. The key lies in finding a goal that is both meaningful and attainable, a balance that fosters momentum and belief in one’s ability.
Where True Confidence Comes From
The foundation of lasting confidence is certainty. And certainty is rooted in clarity.
To be confident, you must be clear about what you do, why you do it, and who you serve. Clarity begins by looking inward: What exactly is it that you do? What are you aiming to achieve? If you want to reach high standards, are you prepared to give your best?
When there’s a mismatch between ambition and effort, inner conflict arises. That conflict undermines confidence. The remedy is alignment, ensuring your aspirations are matched by action and commitment.
Understanding Yourself and Your Audience
Confidence also grows when we understand the drivers behind our work and the needs of those we aim to serve.
In any business, your customer base will be diverse. Not everyone will be the right fit for your offering, and that’s perfectly fine. Accepting that some people won’t resonate with your approach can actually strengthen your confidence.
Why? Because it frees you to focus on those who do. When you serve the right people, with the right product or service, in a way that is authentic to you, you’re more likely to succeed. And success, however small, reinforces confidence.
Confidence as the Bedrock
Ultimately, confidence is not a surface-level quality. It sits at the bedrock of your work, embedded in your understanding, your clarity, your certainty. When you’re clear on your purpose and approach, confidence naturally follows.
It becomes evident in your interactions, in your decision-making, and in the way others perceive you. And it’s this authenticity, not bravado, that others trust.
Maintaining Confidence
Maintaining confidence isn’t about pretending or posturing. It’s about doing the work, gaining clarity, making peace with what you can’t control, and doubling down on what you can. From that solid ground, confidence isn’t something you chase, it’s something you express.
For more insights on growth strategies in business, check out my book Business Wisdom: Strategies for Success, where I delve deeper into these principles and provide actionable tips for entrepreneurs.
You can also check out my comprehensive library of tools, resources, and expert strategies in my Business Wisdom Vault.
If you’re considering expansion and want to ensure it’s the right move for your business, book a discovery call with me to explore your options and create a roadmap tailored to your goals.
Highlights
- [00:00] Introduction to Confidence
- [00:35] Understanding Trust and Confidence
- [01:30] Building Confidence Over Time
- [02:21] Methods to Boost Confidence
- [03:47] Achieving Clarity and Certainty
- [04:38] Aligning Goals with Actions
- [05:25] Understanding Your Audience
- [06:33] Delivering 100% to Your Ideal Customers
- [07:15] The Bedrock of Confidence
