Why showing up matters more than you realise

Showing up is part of the job description for a small business owner. It’s up to you to let people know what you’re up to and how you might be able to help them.

And this isn’t a part-time gig or something you get to when you have more time (which you know will never happen - more on that later).

What to focus on as a business owner

So what are you doing to show up in your business? I’ve got some ideas for you, but before I share them it’s important to emphasise that I’m not suggesting you do all of these things. My intention is not to overwhelm you or add another item to your to-do list.

It’s about simplifying and focusing on a few things that you want to do really well and consistently. Consistency builds trust and people do business with people they trust - it also increases your profitability.

Ways to show up

There are so many ways you can show up consistently in your business. Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling:

1. Be a guest on podcasts: Self-made billionaire, Cindy Eckert of The Pink Ceiling, is still a frequent guest on podcasts. Why? Because she knows that showing up will help spread the word about her business.
2. Network: Attend networking events and follow up with people you meet consistently.
3. Write a blog post: Blogging daily, weekly, every other week, or monthly will keep you in front of people.
4. Post helpful and engaging stories: For instance, you can share content on Instagram several times per week.
5. Go live on social media every week: Provide your audience with helpful information and answer questions.

In the end, how you show up is not as important as the fact that you actually do show up. Choose something that feels good for you that you know you will follow through on. And of course, it’s important to show up in places where your ideal clients hang out.

Time management

If you think you don’t have time to show up as often as you’d like, it may be a good idea to take a closer look at how you’re actually spending your time.

You can find out by tracking your time for two weeks, for example. Capture your activities in 15-minute increments for 14 days and then check out the numbers. There are many handy (and free) tools and apps that can help you keep track.

Be yourself

My challenge to you is to show up and share your brilliance on a consistent basis. And when you do show up, be the most you that you can be.

“The willingness to show up changes us, it makes us a little braver each time.” ~Brene Brown

Also: remember, that this isn’t about you. This is about them, your audience. The people you serve, the people you can support with the knowledge and information you have.

The 80/20 principle

In addition to showing up, you will also want to share your offers with others. A good way of managing this is using Pareto’s 80/20 principle, which states that, “80 percent of outcomes result from 20 percent of all causes for any given event.” In this case, you can give relevant and valuable information to others 80 percent of the time and share your offers for the other 20 percent.

Show up in your own way

In addition to showing up, you can make it your intention to connect with one person per day. It can be with a new person, an old friend, a potential client, anyone really.

Whatever way you commit to showing up, you may find that by creating this one habit, you see improvements in other areas. This is what Jeff Haden calls The Improvement Ripple Effect which asserts that, “Focusing on improving one thing, no matter how small, naturally leads to improvements in other areas.”

I hope you’re feeling inspired to choose a way to show up repeatedly and start making it happen.

Which piece of advice did you find most useful? Leave a comment below!