In this week’s blog post we look at how to decide what you spend your money on in your business and how to make the right decision, every time using your masculine and feminine qualities.
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I’m not sure about you, but I am a bit of a nerd and I love investing in myself and in my business.
I love learning, growing and deepening my skill set.
Over the years I have completed many certifications, qualifications, short courses and workshops and spent a fair bit of money along the way.
But in the online business world it can be easy to get sucked into feeling like we need to take another online course, attend another workshop or that we must update our qualifications…again!
We are consistently told and sold that we are not enough and that we must continually strive to be more, do more and to earn more, leading us to think the < insert new investment > will be the silver bullet to our success.
I’ll admit that I have fallen victim to this earlier on in my entrepreneurial adventure.
However, I now have a really balanced and super easy approach when it comes to deciding what I spend my precious money, time and energy on in my business.
And I’d like to share it with you.
This approach takes into account both the masculine and feminine elements of ourselves and our businesses.
When we are using our masculine traits we are looking through a lens of facts, figures and frameworks to ensure our investment will take us in the right direction.
And when it comes to our feminine traits we are leaning into our felt senses and letting our body and intuition add depth to our investment decision.
Below I share the exact process I take when I’m making both small and significant investments in my business.
To help explain this approach I thought I’d share a recent example of a significant business investment I have made – a high level business mastermind starting in 2020.
When it comes to putting on my masculine energy hat, there are a series of questions I like to go through and answer in detail when assessing how I’ll spend money in my business.
Before getting into the financial questions, it’s a really good idea to assess your needs and get clear on what you need support with.
Are you looking for a coach who can help you with accountability and to grow your business?
Or do you need to take a specific design course to update your skills?
Or maybe you want to join a mastermind for continual support?
Or maybe you need to work with a copywriter and use their expertise to help you write your sales page?
When looking at this mastermind I have joined, I first assessed what I really needed in my business.
When I sat with the question it was clear that I thrived on support and being connected to a like-minded group of female business leaders.
Ok, now we can get into the money side of things. A key question to ask is “do I actually have the cash for this?”
I actually have a separate business expense account where all of my education investments come from (coaching, workshops, masterminds etc).
When I looked at signing up to this high-level mastermind I had to work out if I could make the monthly repayments or pay upfront and what percentage of my overall expense account was this investment.
Although it’s a slight stretch, and the biggest investment I have made in my business to date, I know I will have the funds to make the monthly repayments.
So take stock of your funds and ensure you have the cash or feel confident that you can make the investment back…which leads to the next question.
A really sound masculine approach when deciding whether a business investment will be worthwhile is to look at your return on investment (ROI) and how quickly you think you can make your money back.
Take some time to look at what you think you will gain from your investment.
Do you feel you will be able to charge more for your services?
Or maybe the skills you learn will save you a ton of time?
Or the investment you make may provide you with a really valuable network that will help to grow your business further?
For me, I know that what I learn as a part of the 2020 mastermind will translate into even more value for my clients and I can raise my prices again. I also know that being surrounded by amazing female leaders will help me to up level my business again and again.
And when it comes to looking at ROI, I have worked out how many clients I need to work with in order to make my investment back and how long I think that will take.
Working through these masculine focused questions will help you gain clarity from a rational and logical perspective and put you in the perfect place to make the right investment decision.
Ok so we’ve looked at the facts and the figures around your investment. Now it’s time to dive into your feelings!
As mentioned previously, the feminine part of this decision making process taps into how you FEEL about this investment and it’s just as important as the more logical and rational assessment we have made so far.
Take some time to drop into your body. Let your energy move from your head down into your heart and ask yourself “How does this investment feel?”
Maybe you’re asking your body “how does signing up with this coach feel?” or “what does registering for this workshop feel like in my heart?”
I invite you to really feel into how your body responds when you start asking the questions.
Maybe you feel some tension creep up or maybe your body softens and you feel a sense of excitement.
It’s vital that you listen to these important messages and incorporate them into your decision making process.
When I felt into my investment I experienced a wave of delightful feelings including a sense of deep support, a sense of collaboration and I felt I’d be nurtured throughout 2020.
I also had a really beautiful vision of having massive angel wings and a sense of growth, expansion and flying free!
So take your time and really explore the intricacies and the depth of your feelings around your investment.
Another really important feminine embodiment approach to your decision making is to feel into your capacity for this investment?
There is no point signing up to something and dropping cash if you don’t actually have the time or energy to get the most out of the experience.
Again, take a deep breath and slowly bring your awareness into your body and ask yourself “do I have the capacity to take on this investment?” and “can I devote myself to this investment?”
Let your body lead the way and take note of what arises for you.
I had to assess what time commitment was involved in the mastermind in terms of how many calls a month there would be, what travel was involved and even if the time zone would work for me.
Then I dropped into my body and tapped into how this investment would feel once I was in it.
Would the requirements of the mastermind drain or deplete me or would it energise and excite me?
It was the latter and this had a big impact on my decision!
I was worried that I wanted to sign up for this mastermind out of FOMO (fear of missing out). But once I made the effort and uncovered my true feelings, I knew that energy and excitement were fuelling my YES!
Continuing on with our feelings-based approach, this question encourages you to feel into and assess the resonance of the person you will essentially be investing in.
You may really love the sound of a new coaching certification or sales funnel workshop, but do you actually vibe with the practitioner or the company that is providing the experience?
Do you appreciate and admire how they operate in their lives and businesses?
Do you vibe with their values and what they stand for in the world?
It’s one thing to really admire a person or brand’s results but if you don’t resonate with them and their methods of reaching their goals, then they may not be the right fit for you.
After having my daughter I was looking for a paid mastermind to be a part of however I struggled to find a group or a mastermind leader I resonated with.
I wasn’t vibing with the ‘6 figures in 6 months’ hype that was swirling around the internet and I definitely didn’t want to have to pay someone to be in a group where they honoured the hustle and grind for success. I was sleep deprived enough thanks to a baby…I didn’t want to add another level of pressure on top of everything.
However, (when the timing was right) I found the perfect intimate mastermind experience that ticked all the boxes.
I really resonated with the female mentor who was running the mastermind and I loved her approach to business and I admired her success…I loved it so much I have signed on for another year!
So remember, Resonance is incredibly important and something to factor into your business investment decision.
Ok, so this sounds like a random or ‘woo’ question but it’s something worth considering.
It’s very easy to go into a decision being so focused on the ROI and then getting hung up on exactly what you’re going to get out of your investment.
But in my experience it’s worthwhile being open to all the ways that magic can and will show up once you invest.
So tune in to your body and see if you are controlling the outcome and if you’re being really rigid with your expectations.
There’s no harm having certain expectations of what you want to get out of a coaching series, a workshop or an education qualification.
But when we lean into trust, let go and surrender we open ourselves to a multitude of magic and our expectations are easily exceeded!
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Now once you’ve gone through the above 7 questions, take some time to let things bubble away in your head and your heart and then pull everything together.
You may wish to write everything out in your journal, put it all in a spreadsheet or talk it through with a friend or colleague so you can see and feel all of the masculine and feminine qualities that make up your decision.
Ok so that’s my sweet little process showcasing how I make informed and balanced decisions when it comes to investing in my business.
This process has helped me make sound decisions when it comes to investing in coaches, masterminds, web developers, coaching certifications….the list goes on.
And I hope it helps you access all the value that both your head and heart and your masculine and feminine sides have to offer you.
Happy investing!
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