How to Know If You’re Investing In Your Business or Just Going Into Debt.

“What do you think, Karen? Should I sign up for the video marketing offer?” Becky asked me. “It’s such a good deal and having new video would upgrade our website.”

We chatted a bit… and soon discovered that the $1999 good offer on new video was not the most important question. Becky had over $110,000 in personal credit card debt for coaching, marketing, technical and other services to launch and support her coaching business. And she was not generating regular consistent revenue from that business.

And it was likely not because she needs new video for her website.

And she knew it, which is why she was getting another opinion.

Becky needed to stop debting in her business and start investing.

Debting is a depletion of your resources to fund something that is not naturally profitable. Investing is focused spending that increases revenue within a given period. Investing has positive ROI. Debting does not.

Becky felt ashamed to bring up the specifics of the credit card debt, but I was so glad she did!

Many of us, including me, have invested a bunch of personal money to create the products, offerings, branding, and positioning that support our businesses. Investment is necessary.

However, there is a point that comes when there just isn’t a commensurate flow of income into the business. If you are not running profitably now, much less generating the revenue to be able to pay down the original investment, then it’s time to stop digging that hole and try a different approach.

Debt can feel like a prison. It eats away at our self-esteem, our capacity to sell and deliver, and our faith in our divine support.

If you can relate to Becky’s dilemma, the simplest way to shift from debting to investing includes two simultaneous strategies:

• Focus on generating revenue now. Use the most direct methods you have got—likely personal selling efforts to win new clients, keep existing clients, and see what you can offer to past clients. Select the most impactful services you offer and humbly pray/vision on the question, “Who can I serve now with this offering?”  “Now money” may gracefully come from additional channels of income such as gigs with past work or employers. With the Money Keys, I became quite comfortable with the fact that working as a contract corporate trainer is one of the channels where God blesses me with financial flow. And that supports much of the Money Keys coaching ministry activity.
   
• Only spend new money where there is a clear ROI. Look for opportunities where you can see through clearly to a minimum of 150% return on the money invested. If you’re going to work with a coach at $5,000 for 3 months, see exactly how this program will generate a minimum of $7500 in new revenues for your business within 90 days.

Becky felt relieved to find her own answer. “No thanks,” for the video offer, and a big “Yes!” to directly, tactically proving her revenue model by securing 2-3 new small business clients for her leadership assessments and team work using the tools and platform she already had. And, as needed, opening to channels of income that could get her 1) Profitable now, and 2) Repaying that $110,000.

It does not have to take forever to have a big change in your circumstances, especially when you surrender to spiritual intention to allow divine qualities like Intelligence and Power to flow as you make these changes.

Start with a clear focus on new money revenue and honest evaluation of new spending. I know you have the courage and capacity to invest wisely in your business and thrive!