Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in coaching but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sue Styles, founder of Maximized Results Consulting Inc., located in Calgary, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I help entrepreneurs assess and improve their business practices so that they can easily scale and grow. When the business is YOU, the troubling statistics of an up to 90% failure rate is something I ensure business owners avoid.
Tell us about yourself
I started 30 years ago as a Vancouver childbirth educator after the birth of my first child. That cemented my love of teaching adults. My UBC training laid the groundwork for what was to come. Years later, while raising four children in the Okanagan, my 13-year marriage disintegrated, so I pulled up those B.C. roots and moved to where I was born, Calgary, Alberta.
After working with three of the most reputable, high-producing real estate teams in the city, I gained a reputation for organizing delinquent tasks and setting up systems for success. I built my own consulting business and have spoken at real estate conferences all across Canada, including the largest industry gathering in Toronto two years in a row.
Since then, I have written two books, managed my own list of business clients, and been interviewed in FORBES twice. "There is a natural progression in any business model," Styles says, "there is always something else that can be implemented or at least experimented with. You can never take your hands off the wheel or your foot off the gas. Don't coast - when you coast, you are going downhill."
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I credit myself with finding answers when I need them as my biggest accomplishment. Whenever there is a crisis, and I am tempted to throw in the towel, to go get a 'regular' job, to run away from my big scary dreams and play small - when I am afraid that maybe I was wrong and I am just chasing empty daydreams, then I am thankful that I have searched for the answers that I have needed.
I have allowed myself time to re-calibrate, read about other entrepreneurs, or interview others who I consider 'successful.' During the COVID crisis, I lost a large part of my income as there were cancellations to conferences and events, but instead of immediately giving up, I searched for others, reached out and had phone calls with three entrepreneurs who were gracious to talk to me, give me ideas that worked for them and that got me through the rough patch.
An accomplishment that I am proud of because of my subsequent success is being interviewed in FORBES twice; I definitely consider that a feather in my cap!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things I talk about when it comes to running my own business is creating a successful balance while working full time, starting a business, and being a single parent. My heart goes out to other parents who are compelled to initiate their passions and create their own businesses. I know the priority of focus and discipline that it takes.
"Of course, it's hard; you make sacrifices," she says, "but all you can do is make the smartest decisions as you step forward each day and ask for guidance." And once you are a business owner, you must continue your good habits and generate the business. "I still have to pick up the phone and call potential clients or conference planners." Styles says, "I also have to manage my database, assign my bookkeeping, learn about e-commerce, post on social media, create new products, just like my clients do - that's why they always say that I practice what I preach."
Many energetic entrepreneurs want to build million dollar businesses, but they are using hundred dollar habits – I assess and improve those mistakes.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I have discovered 5 Habits of Successful Solo- Entrepreneurs, and I wrote about them in a book called "The Little Red Stick - What Gets Measured Gets Done."
Briefly outlined, they are:
- Take Care of Your Clients BEFORE They Are Clients:
Any business owner either discovers that one MUST build their network base or they soon fail in business. High-level entrepreneurs consistently add to their database and their sphere and have a plan for keeping in touch so that when their services are needed, they are top of mind. - Build a Big Foundation:
If you want to build a highrise, you need an adequate foundation. In business, this refers to your business plan, marketing plan, and social media plan. Ask yourself, what are you building on? - Get a Vision to Scale, or You Will Fail - and leave hard-earned money on the table! Do your homework early and find out what steps you will take when it is time to grow and leverage your abilities! If you don't do it now, you may find that you are too busy and become overwhelmed once sales take off!
- The Best Tools Rule the School:
What are the tools you need in your industry? A Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) is one example of a tool that must be learned and used effectively to support the business. Other tools that help measure your success and key performance indicators (KPIs) might be: White Boards, Synced Calendars, Processes, and Checklists. - Always Swing Through:
In golf, a professional doesn't stop swinging once she's connected with the ball! No, they kept swinging all the way around. In business, you shouldn't stop making an effort once you have made the sale. Dropping the ball after a deal is one of the most common mistakes that owners make. You want to ensure that you are keeping clients forever!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
One piece of advice: "Use your brain and trust your gut. Step back before making decisions and judgments. Take a breath as you consider your options. Don't allow fear and anxiety to keep your wheels spinning."
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://suestyles.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SueStylesSpeaker
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suestyles_results/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueStyles
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-styles-17254010/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.
