A High-Stress Endeavor of Running a Small Business: Public Speaking.

By Severen Henderson for Department3C

If you own a small business, or you're thinking about starting one. One of your first lessons is this. YOU WILL BE WEARING A LOT OF HATS, TO BEGIN WITH! It comes with the territory where small businesses begin with the owner or owners taking on multiple responsibilities to ensure the business runs smoothly. One day you're the accountant, the next, you're the marketer, and then you're the salesperson. It's a lot of work, and it can be stressful.

Depending on the business you have started, these tasks can become even more daunting. There's a significant distinction between providing a service like landscaping or window cleaning and a field that necessitates you to address audiences, such as coaching or public speaking.

Don't get me wrong; the tangible service provider has to speak. If not, they should hire someone for that role. Promotion and marketing are necessary to attract new customers and keep existing customers. Commercials on television, radio, podcasts, or social media require speaking publicly. For some, this can be a very high-stress endeavor, especially if you're not used to speaking in front of large groups of people.

Speaking from experience as a small business owner who wears multiple hats inside a business that offers multiple points of service. I know the struggles of marketing, promotion, advertisements, organic as well as paid outreach, and so forth. It can be quite a bit to stay on top of, producing content, recording social media stories, or even going live on Instagram.

There are days when I would give my right arm to outsource some of these responsibilities so that I could focus on other areas of the business. The thing is, small businesses don't have large budgets. That is until they reach a certain level of growth. Even then, it's essential to keep as much money in the business as possible to reinvest or put towards other areas that need attention.

All in all, THE STRUGGLE CAN BE REAL!

For small business owners, my best advice is this: If public speaking is not your forte, consider hiring someone whose strength is in this area. It will free you up to focus on other essential aspects of running your small business and help take some stress off your plate.

But! As I mentioned at the beginning, small business owners have all of the hats to wear! The following are tips to get you through what some consider a high-stress fear. Public Speaking.

Until you can hire someone, here are some tips to help you get through public speaking situations:

- First, remember that you are the expert on your business. You know more about it than anyone else in the room, so you have that going for you. Speak with confidence and authority on the subject that you know so well.

- Second, take some time to prepare what you say. This will help you feel more confident and less nervous when it's time to give the presentation.

- Third, practice, practice, practice! The more you do it, the easier it will become. You will go from publicly speaking about your business to having a conversation about your business.

Sounds simple, right! That's because it can be. Follow these tips for success in this business area, and you'll be sure to see your business grow right before your eyes!

I didn't want to add it as a tip, but I felt obligated to point out something I remembered as a youngster watching TV and seeing #1 as the primary rule or little advice for individuals who have to speak in public. Imagine everyone in the crowd naked! I'm not sure why or how this was supposed to help the presentation, but from remember, it always seemed to help the speaker!

So, there you have it. Public speaking for small business owners doesn't have to be nearly as daunting as it seems. Just follow these simple tips, and you'll be on your way! Good luck!

If you're a small business owner struggling with public speaking, what are some things you do to help prepare you for a presentation?

Please share your thoughts or comments with me, and maybe someone can put your advice to use when it comes to this area of running their small business.

Severen Henderson is the Owner/Operator of Department3C. You can connect with him on most social media sites: @iamsevy Or for business-related topics: @deaprtment3c. We want to keep in contact! So please head to our website www.department3c.com to see what we are up to! For e-mail inquiries, contact us at info@department3c.com.