Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sara Phelan, Founder of Evalu8-Evolve Business Coaching, located in Riverview, NB, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a Business Strategist and Coach. I help small business owners to get organized. It's about business skills training and coaching for analysis and strategic planning to look at their business from a different perspective, make informed decisions, raise capital and prepare for whatever is 'next.'

Tell us about yourself

I was the small business owner winning awards and growing, but it wasn't until my life, and business path separated that I became a business broker (selling other entrepreneurial dreams) that I saw the big picture, and it all made sense to me. A humbling conversation that put perspective on the whole business and personal goals. At times, it was a sad discussion of lost opportunities.

Clarity can be difficult when you are working in your day-to-day business and not necessarily on it. Much like trying to read the label on the bottle from inside it. I live for the aha moments! When it all clicks and the entrepreneur sees the opportunity and how to take action to make positive changes to grow, increase the value or create a plan that gets them back on track.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Grit. It's a rollercoaster. Not going to sugarcoat it. Being able to stay focused and motivated with a plan and the mindset to keep going and not give up. My true accomplishment is being able to share my lessons with other entrepreneurs to avoid some of the pitfalls I walked into. And then watching them succeed is incredibly rewarding.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

It's twofold in my mind. 1. We don't know what we don't know. 2. We don't talk about it enough.

  1. Working in your business and not always on it, "we"(entrepreneurs) can avoid the work we are not great at, and sometimes we don't see the issues or the opportunities until it's a massive problem. Looking at the whole business, it's important to be the CEO and take a step back and make sure you are on the right track, and your decisions are aligned with your vision of the future. How can we get better if we don't know where we are starting?
  2. We don't talk about it enough. Being a business owner can be hard, and it's important to have a peer group or mentors that we can be vulnerable with. Sharing success, failure, and best practices to level up can only be understood and appreciated by others that are or were on the same path and get it. Business is a process, and every industry may have slight variations to consider, but for the most part, we are all in the same boat, and no one is immune from burnout, depression, and stress.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Do the detailed business plan. Know how you are going to be successful.
  2. Follow the plan, keep it alive and schedule CEO time alone. Weekly check-in and then quarterly or annual reviews on your whole operation. Keep an Inventory of everything.
  3. Surround yourself with others on the same journey. Network, build relationships, and find accountability and people who will call you out on your leadership.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.evalu8-evolve.com/
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3H5SKia

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/evalu8-evolve-business-coaching/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-phelan/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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