Setting Business & Personal Financial Goals with Worth It Author Amanda Steinberg

Setting Business & Personal Financial Goals with Worth It Author Amanda Steinberg

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The Nitty Gritty:

    • How the founder of DailyWorth and author of Worth It uses a two-prong approach to set financial goals that are ambitious.
    • Why failure is an opportunity for learning and growth and you shouldn’t be afraid of it.
    • How you view your identity and feelings of self-worth impact your ability to create financial goals that get you to the life you desire.
    • How having a little “Steve Jobs” in you isn’t a bad thing. Just ask Amanda who established the roots that gave her wings!

It’s easy to assume that Amanda Steinberg, the founder and CEO of DailyWorth, the leading financial media company for women, and author of Worth It, has super powers when it comes to setting business and personal financial goals. But in this week’s Profit. Power. Pursuit. podcast she shares with us that while there were times when she appeared to outsiders to have it all together—$200K annual salary, $700K home—she wasn’t experiencing the “exhilaration of affluence.” So, she reset and can now teach you what she learned.

Two Approaches to Setting Financial Goals

It’s not about the speed of our growth, but about the unit economics. That’s what investors want to see. How much do we have to spend to acquire one customer? What is our profit margin on that customer? That’s actually more important for me to master and perfect…

– Amanda Steinberg

Whenever Amanda is setting financial goals there are two strategies she always takes to planning: a top-down and bottom-up approach. In top-down planning you look at your entire market and assume there are no limits on your marketing, capital, and talent resources. Once you have a framework for the possibilities, you bring it back down to earth to assess the possibilities through the realities you have. How many people are on your team. What you know about your sales ability. What capital you have.

You find a number that is both really ambitious and realistic relative to your resources.

– Amanda Steinberg

Battle the Imposter Complex when Setting Financial Goals

Oftentimes entrepreneurs, especially female entrepreneurs, struggle with self-worth when setting financial goals. We don’t set an audacious goal, because it feels like it’s bigger than what we can do. We worry about how we will be perceived—too aggressive, “She has a lot of Steve Jobs in her, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” (how Amanda was described once), or a failure if we don’t achieve the goal. Amanda learned something as a video-game playing kid that she suggests you employ as an adult when you fail:

“Treat it like a game. Then failure doesn’t feel like a reflection on you it’s just a normal part of the learning process.”

Set goals that feel a bit uncomfortable to you. In her book Worth It, Amanda explores the Good Girl to Lady Boss transition women are in the midst of and explains how to facilitate your own identity transition to create your life and your money on your terms.

Learn more about Amanda’s journey and what you can do to create more financial security in your life by establishing three crucial roots that then give you the wings to live the life you desire.

We’ll be back next week with another inspiring entrepreneur, but in the meantime, don’t forget to subscribe to the Profit. Power. Pursuit podcast on iTunes so you never miss an episode.

Can greed be good?

A shortened version of this post originally ran on The Daily Worth. Do yourself a favor, subscribe.

The number one thing that used to keep me from my earning potential? Fear of being greedy.

I had a knee jerk reaction to wanting to make more money – namely, that it made me greedy. And being greedy was the last thing I wanted to be.

Some months ago, MP suggested it might be time for a new definition of “wealth.” Time to rewire our knee jerk reactions to a word like “wealth.” Forget the assumption that “wealth” isn’t for ME.

What about greed? Could I, should I shift my definition of this nasty idea? My idea of greed was pretty simple: more for me means less for you!

In the first year of my business, my inner monologue went something like, “Better to get by with less – at whatever cost – than risk being greedy.” Every time I quoted a project or set a price, I felt queasy – and not a little bit greedy.

I lived in constant fear of greed.

Soon enough my business started to take off. My options were either charge more or go insane. I set greedy feelings aside and decided that charging more was better than insanity.

A funny thing happened when I started charging more, not only was I making more money, I could afford to get some help.

That’s when I realized that “greed” is a lonely problem!

Worrying about bringing in “too much” money kept me isolated, underutilized, and ineffective.

Being greedy isn’t about having more it’s about maintaining isolation at all costs.

Earning more money for my work meant that I had the money to pay someone for their help on a weekly basis, invest in non-DIY options, and improve my business platforms. In other words, the money I was making was helping other people too and keeping me connected to the wider world.

Instead of seeing bigger payouts as evidence of my greed, I could see them as evidence of my social responsibility.

Had I kept my business just crawling by out of fear that I might give in to some primal greed, I’d be stressed out, pissed off, and not very good for society. Earning more helps me stay plugged in to all the good I can do in the world.

My profit is part of the community’s profit. My growth is part of the community’s growth. My success is part of the community’s success.

My business just doesn’t work if I only consider “me” and my needs. Considering the “we” is how it all works.

When the switch flipped on that realization, it was like there was no amount of money I wouldn’t earn. Bring it on – I can use it.

Greed became a nonissue.

To make the break from equating “more” with “greed”, get a plan for how you’ll use the wealth as it comes in. Charity? Social investment? Employees? Business reinvestment? A weekly massage? Hey, massage therapists are independent business owners, too!

Certainly, it’s easier for me to carry out these strategies and see their outcomes directly as a self-employed person. But I suspect you may be holding out on asking for a raise or taking on side business for much the same fear of greed.

How will you rewire your knee jerk reaction to “greed” so that you can free yourself to be a steward of more money?

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The Art of Earning LIVE is an intentional, intensive, and intimate business building experience. Find out how your business can take better care of you in this day-and-a-half long workshop. Join me!

It’s time to raise your rates… now what?!

Your clients won’t give you an annual raise like an employer might. If your rates are too low, few people will tell you. So how do you know?

It’s time to raise your rates when:

  • you resent your customers or your work.
  • working is killing your creative drive.
  • you question whether the time you put into work is “worth it” at all.

Check, check, check? It’s time. Now to face the raising-your-rates music!

How do you justify the increase?

First, know that discovering you need to raise your rates means that you’ve been gaining valuable experience along the way. You know what value you create for your clients.

Holly Neitzel, an accountant who specializes in small business clients, was concerned the first time she sent out her new rates (doubled!) to a client:

“The client had no qualms about my new rate. I think it made him feel secure in the fact that he was hiring a professional. You know, you get what you pay for?!”

When you’re trying to justify your own rates, you often forget that inexpensive is often seen as “cheap.” Raising your rates can be a sign that you’re ready for new responsibility and more challenging clients.

Second, consider how you can further differentiate yourself in the market. Few clients are looking for jills-of-all-trades. What’s your expertise? What clients do you work best with? What specific & tangible problems do you ease?

By claiming your unique strengths, you make it difficult to challenge your higher rates.

What if you lose clients?

How would you like to earn the same amount of money and work less? That is a reality for some who raise their rates. Unfortunately, I’ve never experienced this myself. Each time I’ve raised rates, I’ve gained clients. And that’s not uncommon.

Raising your rates singles that you have something of value and many potential clients find that highly attractive. Sort of like a pair of Louboutins.

Bridget Pilloud, a life-shifter whose clients work with her to enact positive change in their lives, raised her rates this summer:

“The quality of my clientele went up immediately. I found myself working with people who could really take advantage of my advice. However, the number of clients that I served went down much more than I expected.”

Bridget discovered that in order to attract customers who would pay her rates and benefit most from her services, she needed to adjust her branding. Clearly an easier choice than getting by with less.

If you do lose clients, you might finally have the time & energy necessary to create more leveraged streams of income like workshops, digital products, or masterminds. Raising your rates may just give you the breathing room you need to take your whole business to the next level.

How do you handle existing clients?

Use this as an opportunity to evaluate which clients you’d hate to lose and which you’d hate to keep. You could offer a discount to favorite customers (and ask for a testimonial). If you can’t afford to fire your tough customers, maybe offer them a grace period–or let them go.

Tanya Geisler, a life coach who helps clients step into their starring roles, has been on both sides of the price increase dilemma. She suggests approaching clients directly:

“You could try to explain how your rate increase means you’ll be working with fewer clients and providing them with better service etc, but truthfully, when I’m on the receiving end of this speech, it rarely resonates. I get it. You’re in business. And you deserve to be compensated.”

Just communicate how your new rates affect your existing clients.

There are countless combinations you can use to make your work & life easier while providing great service to your clients – new & existing. Raising your rates is about taking care of yourself and your clients. Make sure you do it in a way that feels honest and full of integrity.

What’s holding you back from raising your rates?

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If your relationship with the not-so-almighty dollar is holding you back from raising your rates, check out my digital guide on radically reframing your money mindset. Get the pdf package & name your own price. Or grab the Kindle version for Amazon!

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A shortened version of this piece was featured yesterday on The Daily Worth. Not a subscriber? You should be! Sign up here.