I was asked to present this at the small business networking group run by Carol Butkus of the SBA in Seattle.

1. Building Confidence In your business and your role as business owner

2. Agenda Confidence is developmental Define your core values for yourself and your business Build an informal advisory board Develop your gut Create social capital Nothing stays constant

3. Confidence is developmental You are already confident in some of your roles – this one may be new If you are parents, you know the feeling of being an imposter at first Know your key values so you can project them

4. What is your True North? What matters most to you in your life and your business You need to know your core values for yourself, your family AND your business For me it was about having control over time by taking on part time projects I also loved the fact that I could be very customer focused and do the right thing for my customers rather than what my particular manager wanted at any point in time Know your ethical bottom line too

5. Bring yourself to your work What is unique about what you have to bring to your business? Shape your business to reflect your strengths and that will build your confidence I used my deep knowledge and high end licenses to bring small securities firms expert advice without the cost of a full time compliance person on staff Now I use my passion for technology and early adopter status to market technology in the education market

6. Your Personal Advisory Board My advisory board is informal and made up of other vendors with whom I enjoy working Build it over time with people who’s advice you trust and feel comfortable going to THE VALUE: you can ask questions and have a sounding board with people who are not your family or employees Constantly network – talk about your business to people you meet. They may not become clients, but they could be advisors

7. Develop your gut Listen to your senses, feelings, intuition, or whatever you call that sense of knowing Use your experiences and your senses to make decisions When you listen, and do the right thing based on what you hear, you will become more confident

8. Create Social Capital The definition – found online at the OECD site: Refers to the connection among individuals and the relationships that can be economically valuable. Social networks that include people who trust and assist each other can be a powerful asset. Build your business and your confidence through volunteering – if that’s right for you

9. Balance is not steady state Part of becoming confident is having a history with our business. Change is constant – just when you think you’re rolling along, something happens If you have been following these other steps, hopefully you have the resources to get back to your center.