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If you run a business, you need a point of view.
But you don’t just need one. You need tons of POVs to help you permanently solve problems in your business.
Let me give you an example.
Back in 2010, I was given a free ticket to a PR workshop led by a well-known expert.
I accepted it, even though I had already hired a PR person, taken a class on how to land media, read stacks of books, and devoured everything I could find online. My business had been featured in Entrepreneur, I’d appeared on several radio and TV shows, and I’d even auditioned for Oprah’s Have Your Own Show competition. A clip from my audition was featured on The Oprah Show.
So yes, technically, I’ve been on Oprah.
Like I said, I felt great walking into that workshop—until halfway through, when my confidence vanished.
This PR expert had a completely different approach. Mine was all about building personal relationships. Hers was about guerrilla marketing. And suddenly, I was second-guessing everything—my About page, my press releases, even my offers.
But then I came to my senses.
I remembered I had my own proven methods. I didn’t need to toss them out just because her approach was different. I needed to stick with what was working and use the rest of the workshop to confirm that my way actually made sense.
Then I thought,––wait a minute. Where else in my business am I doing this? Where else do I feel confident but second-guess myself because of what some expert says I should be doing?
That’s when the idea for the Business Confidence Checklist was born.
It’s a simple tool I created to help me get clear on what’s actually working in my business so I could stop wasting time “fixing” things that didn’t need fixing—and focus on what actually needed attention.
Over the years, I’ve returned to this checklist again and again. Whenever I start to feel shaky, I go through it and ask myself: Am I actually not confident about this—or am I reacting to someone else’s way of doing things?
Most of the time, I already have a strong foundation. I just need to remember it.
This checklist has become one of my core POVs. And I encourage you to create your own.
Here’s how you do it.
Make a list of the general areas of your business.
Then rate the different areas of your business from 0 to 10.
Zero means no confidence. Ten means total confidence.
If something scores a 10, that means you already have a strong point of view. So stop tweaking it. Cross it off the list and move on. If you score lower, like a 3, that means you need to work on that area until you can score yourself a 10 in that area.
The Business Confidence Checklist is one of the ways I permanently solve problems in my business—and how I help clients permanently solve problems in theirs.
Everyone’s Business Confidence Checklist will look different—because every business is different.
So, two things:
First, if you want to learn how to develop strong POVs in your business, I have a free masterclass.
Second, if you want to create your own Business Confidence Checklist, I’ve added a template below—with directions to help you get started.
If we haven’t met before—hello, I’m Erika Lyremark. I’m a business coach and creative strategist, and I work with women-led brands & companies.
XXXO
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MAKE YOUR OWN BUSINESS CONFIDENCE CHECKLIST
- Score each item from 0 (no confidence) to 10 (so much confidence you could teach a class on it)
- Skip any item that doesn’t apply to your business
- Add additional items that aren’t on the list, but need to be
SECTION ONE: OFFER & PRODUCT CLARITY
1. Do you have a WINNING product or service that sells, reliably and repeatedly?
2. Are you crystal clear on the result of your product or service?
3. Do you have a compelling vision for your business and your customers?
4. Do you have defined business values you stick to?
SECTION TWO: BRANDING & POSITIONING
5. Do you have an opt-in that grabs attention and converts?
6. Do you know who your target market is and how to attract them?
7. Do you know the purpose of your business (vs. just having a brand)?
8. Do you love your website and visuals?
9. Do you have a swoon-worthy personal brand?
SECTION THREE: VISIBILITY & MARKETING
10. Do you have a visibility plan you actually use every week?
11. Do you have a content style that converts and engages?
12. Do you know how to make social media that showcase your expertise?
13. Are you confident on camera and audio?
SECTION FOUR: SALES & COMMUNICATION
14 Are you confident in sales conversations?
15. Do you have a product tour or sales page that does the selling for you?
16. Do you have a masterclass, presentation, or pitch deck ready to go?
17. Are you a skilled communicator and negotiator?
SECTION FIVE: MEDIA & NETWORK
18. Do you have a strategy to pitch podcasts and the press?
19. Do you have a media kit or media page?
20. Are you a dynamic guest when interviewed?
21. Do you have a strong CTA when you’re being interviewed and the host asks you… So, where can people find you online?
22. Do you have a Fast 50—a network of people who refer you?
SECTION SIX: INFRASTRUCTURE & STRATEGY
23. Do you have a clear business model and actionable plan?
24. Do you have customer service policies?
25. Do you have a paid ads strategy (FB, IG, TikTok, LinkedIn)?