Instead of being afraid of failing in a business, strive to know *exactly* what will make you fail.
It’s not about whether sh!t can go wrong. Sh!t WILL go wrong; it’s up to you to prevent it. The only way to do that? Information, first and first foremost – and then understanding what you do and do not have control over.
Skipping a SWOT analysis (SWOT = strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) means opening yourself up to liability, stress, aggravation, and potentially having to completely rebuild everything you worked hard for. The SWOT isn’t for the business – it’s about YOU, and how you will run the business: toward growth or into the ground.
This is one of the main reasons why I included a SWOT activity (and a reflection *on* that SWOT) in the very first Module of Building Blocks™. If you skip it, you’ll later discover gaps in your understanding: of the market, of your time and energy and money.
Most regulated pros who hang their own shingle do so with a hope and a prayer – not with a clear understanding of what they need to stay RESOURCED as a business owner.
When solos have clarity around the things that will both RAISE their profiles *and* run their businesses into the ground, then they don’t need to be afraid of failing. They won’t keep pretending like it’ll all be okay if they work hard. They won’t go in blindly or waste time on crazy business plans that don’t actually matter after month 3.
What you don’t want to see WILL hurt you.
Putting blinders on and trying to stay positive will hurt you, personally and professionally, and it will absolutely hurt the business.
I don’t want to be a fearmonger. It’s not about being afraid; it’s about being aware.
A lot of new solos are worried that if they focus on the negatives when launching their private practice, that they’ll put that out into the world and fail. So, they focus only on the positives and turn a blind eye to the exact things that could hurt them. But the things they THINK will hurt them are not external. Ignoring the internal stuff is what will make them fail.
Being a business owner means finding out things about yourself that you thought were buried so deep inside they’d never come out. Every single day. On repeat. 🫠
Entrepreneurship is a lifelong journey to the underworld and back. Who you are and what you’re afraid of will show up in every single interaction: with clients, with courts, with communities, with colleagues, with employees and contractors.
So, instead of pretending nothing could go wrong and ignoring your own shortcomings, face it head on. Do the SWOT. And if you skipped it when you started out, no worries – you can do it now (and you should, at least once a year).
If your business isn’t growing like you want it to, chances are it’s because you’re avoiding a hard conversation with yourself.
The natural consequence of ignoring our weaknesses and threats as business owners, is wasted effort and missed opportunities.
If we want to build a business that works FOR us, we have to first understand how we work AGAINST ourselves – personally, professionally, and as a business owner.
- We need to first identify our strengths – personal, professional, AND business.
- Then, we need to be radically honest about our weaknesses and areas to either shore up with skills and resources, or delegate out to the right support on our Power Team™.
- And once we have that information, we can do better research on our opportunities and threats – personally, professionally, for the business, as well as being a business owner.
It’s a multifaceted review. It’s not just about the business.
This is where Human Design can help us make sure we’re reviewing the information as we are designed to.
- Sometimes, we need to read and learn, and that’s enough to get us started.
- Some of us are designed to try and fail, and try and fail again and again, because that’s how we learn.
- Some of us are meant to say the thing everyone’s thinking but are afraid to say out loud, and others are meant to lean into their networks for support and resources.
There’s no one right way to do things. It’s only what is right for YOU. The depth of understanding you have of *your* SWOT analysis will decide if you will be successful.
The more superficial the SWOT analysis, the more superficial the success. If you want success to be sustainable and satisfying, then you need to go deeper. That’s where success lives.
All business owners want to be successful.
I was 18 when I learned about SWOT analyses. I was a Freshman at UNO, studying Sociology and Women’s Studies. I was in the TRIO program there (SSS) and one of the first things we did was learn to analyze ourselves as students. And while the analysis was meant to only focus on who we could be as students, turning our eyes towards being a professional, I saw the many possibilities of how SWOT could be used.
- It could be used each semester for the classes and teachers that would make me sweat.
- I could use it at home, to get a better idea of how much support I was actually lacking there, raising my sister.
- I could use it at the restaurant where I was working, thinking about how to make the headcount system better to keep our guests happy.
- I saw all the ways that it could be used, modified it to really get to the heart of each piece, and then I used it. Again and again and again.
So when it was time to implement it in my OWN private practice, I didn’t hesitate: both in the multimillion dollar law firm I built over a decade, and in the practice I have now that allows me to live on two continents.
That’s because being radically honest about my own shortcomings is what ensures I can *be* successful. Which is exactly why I include this in my own work with my clients.
Because if you don’t know, you won’t know.
And if you don’t know, you won’t grow.
I have to be super clear about where I thrive and what I hate to do in my own business. Knowing that means I don’t waste energy or time or money. I feel confident and I sleep great. I have the right people and projects and pay around me. And my reputation, my peace, and my heart are protected.
Every single client I work with goes through my proprietary SWOT Analysis. It doesn’t matter whether they’re working with me for professional development or business development – it’s mandatory.
Because if you’re willing to be honest about what’s going wrong, and you are willing to get resources and the skills and information you need to grow, then you will. And if you aren’t willing, then you won’t. It’s as simple as that.
The best part is we can always go back again and again to the SWOT Analysis. Ideally, I like my clients to redo it every year, but sometimes, they don’t want to. Because they get afraid. Or they think, “been there, done that” and they think they don’t need to go through the activities again.
That’s a dangerous game to play: to think you know something when you don’t.
Adding Human Design into the mix means helping my clients see all the pieces of themselves. Clearly. Objectively. Because when they do, they realize there’s no other way than UP … and UP is a lot easier than staying stuck or failing in your business.
At the end of the day, society wants us to believe that if we work hard enough, that we will be successful. But that’s just simply not true.
It doesn’t matter how hard you work if you’re ignoring the things that keep you back. In fact, it’s very easy to keep busy and pretend you’re moving forward. But you know whether the needle is moving. And when it isn’t, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
And if you’re not sure if you’ll be able to move that needle as a new business owner, there’s only one way to find out: AN EXPERTLY-GUIDED SWOT ANALYSIS.
Get started here: https://sheilawilkinson.com/bb-your-choice/. Let’s evaluate and implement what makes you, YOU.
👋🏽 Hi, I’m🌞 Sheila! I’ve spent 25+ years building and running law firms. I’ve mentored hundreds of lawyers, spoken to thousands more up on CLE stages, and I know what it really takes to run a successful, ethical, regulated business without burning out. I help lawyers and other licensed professionals make smarter decisions, set boundaries that stick, and build practices that actually work for them (not the other way around). 🔗Let’s create a practice and a life you actually want.
#JoyfulAndThrivingLawyer #DoItYourWay ⚖️