3 Signs You're Running a 'Default' Business (and How To Fix It)

I've been spending an uncomfortable amount of time in the suburbs lately (bleh) and I've observed as many people seem to meander through their daily routines without an ounce of passion or enthusiasm. I could be biased, of course, because I f*cking hate the suburbs; but to me, these people seem a little lost. It makes me wonder if they've chosen this existence -- and the endless shopping centers, strip malls and chain restaurants -- because it was the "default" choice. You know, the thing you choose because it makes the most sense, but not because you necessarily want it. So, the way they show up in the world comes across as aimless and disengaged, because they're not passionate about the life they've chosen. They're living a default lifestyle and it shows in how they walk, how they deal with other people, and how they look to the rest of society.

Could the same be said about you in your business?

If you established your business just based on your skills and what "made sense" -- but never clearly defined how you want to work and want to be known for -- you are running a default business. That means, the way you work -- or even the work you do -- is probably not aligned with your priorities or core genius. 

Intentional or not, this comes across to discerning people as aimless and disengaged. And to your potential buyers, this comes off as confusing as hell. So rather than attracting the people and results you want, you tend to repel them and get the opposite instead.

Here are 3 dead giveaways that you're running a default business:

• The way you're currently working is weighing you down and taking up way too damn much of your time. But you don't know how, or are too overwhelmed, to change it.
• The services you offer and the way you really want to help people are not the same. But you can't figure out how to connect the two.
• The people you're currently working with don't value what you do, and the ones who love you still won't buy from you (WTH!?). So you stick with the people who are paying you and hope that maybe it will get better.

And as a result:

• You're tired and irritable more often than you care to be. And you can never seem to get enough things done for your own business (which leaves you feeling anxious a lot of the time).
• You still aren't sure how to promote yourself to get the results you want. So you spend more time trying to perfect your website and services, rather than actually promoting and selling them.
• You're annoyed by the people you currently work with and frustrated by the ones who seem to love you but won't ever buy.

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"Are you running a 'default' business? Here's how to tell (and how to fix it)."
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I hear you saying, "mm-hmm," as you slowly nod your head. So now that you recognize you're running a default business, it's time to do some things differently so that you can move forward to create the growth you need. That starts with being more intentional about how you're showing up and how you're building your business:

1. Choose a business model that supports your personality

As a service provider, the default choice for how you earn is typically the 1-to-1 business model -- providing one particular service individually to each client. But there are other ways that you can deliver the kind of value you offer if this model isn't really the best fit for who you are and what you ultimately want out life. The key is to define how you want to spend your time, how you serve best and how your natural personality thrives most, so that the way you structure your business can be aligned with that.

2. Define your services based on your core genius

Your experience of working with people over the past few years has no doubt helped you refine your skills and distill down on what you know-that-you-know. It's also helped you to hone in on the particular problems you [would like to] solve and the outcomes you [want to] help people accomplish. This, combined with your personality and how you work best, is your core genius. So it shouldn't feel like a stretch to create your services -- but should be a natural fit for your skills and expertise.

3. Focus your messaging on who you really want to work with

It might not be apparent just yet, but there are plenty of people out there who like you, value your expertise and want to shove their credit cards in your hands to have you work with them. But you have to do the work to engage those people and understand their current goals, challenges, priorities and desires. So the way you communicate your message and the value of what you offer will resonate with the right people and bring more of them into your circle.

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"3 ways to be more intentional about how you're building your solo business."
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Over to you ...

Have you been running a "default" business? How has that been reflected in the way you show up? What 1 way that you can be more intentional about building the business and growth you really want? Tell me all about it in the comments.