As we start the new calendar year, it’s a good time to assess what’s going to help you achieve the business goals you have for 2025. 

• What do you want to achieve?

• What action do you need to take to achieve it?

• How are you going to show up for that action in the best way to serve (lead) your business?

My work is focused on helping you Build the Business OWNER, that is, the personal, leadership and mindset development skills that are the foundation of sustainable business growth.

Through this post, I’d like to help you consider what building the business owner could mean for you, what it costs not to, and how it can help you grow into a leader who can face business challenges with confidence and navigate them with skill.

Why “Building the Business Owner” is Essential

Think of building the business owner as developing the skills to lead your business with clarity, confidence, and purpose. The business landscape, especially online, is ever-evolving. New trends pop up, marketing approaches shift, and just when you think you’ve got things figured out, a new challenge often presents itself. What remains constant is you — the business owner.

Building yourself as the business owner is about developing and strengthening the personal, leadership and mindset qualities that allow you to make solid decisions, take consistent action and hold faith in your abilities through business challenges, like not seeing the results you want or expect within the timeframe you want or expect them. We’ve all been there!

It’s not only about achieving business results, though. It’s also about creating a business and life aligned with who you truly are and what you most value.

The Cost of Not Focusing on Your Development as a Business Owner

When you think about what it’s costing you not to invest in your growth, money might come to mind first, so let’s start there. But that’s not the only cost of not building yourself as the business owner.

1. Financial Costs

If you struggle with clarity, decision-making, or confidence to take action on your strategies, it stands to reason this might cost sales or client sign-ups. This is a cost that’s readily quantifiable. For example, if you’d like to attract three clients per month at £5,000 each, but indecisiveness or faltering action means you’re only signing one every few months, it’s easy to calculate the financial cost.

The temptation to jump from one tactic to another or to endlessly search for “the right strategy” can also lead to accumulating expenses with little return. When we’re unclear, it’s easy to invest in solutions that aren’t the right fit or to rely on external advice instead of trusting ourselves. This can turn into a cycle of short-lived results without any sustainable impact. The financial cost, then, isn’t just about current revenue but about the steady, scalable income you might be missing out on due to lack of traction.

2. Time Costs

Overthinking, Googling, trying out free resources, and bouncing between different tactics can consume an incredible amount of time — time that could be used more effectively if you were confident in your direction and decisions. I’ve definitely spent countless hours on masterclasses or freebies, often getting more confused through trying to take on advice from every source. Time spent overthinking and trying to figure out how to do things ‘right’ kept me stuck for ages.

3. Energetic costs 

The mental and emotional energy that goes into navigating business doubts and uncertainties is also costly. Every time you feel torn about your next step or go around in circles before making a decision, this depletes your energy and can impact, not only your business, but other areas of your life too. If business stress spills over into other areas of life, it’s easy to feel drained across the board, impacting personal goals like fitness or hobbies you enjoy. When you’re consistently questioning yourself, the mental load can also make you feel depleted, affecting your relationships and your ability to bring joy and balance into your life.

Self-doubt and frustration can make it harder to stay motivated and resilient, which are essential qualities for long-term business success. Every day spent wrestling with doubts about your decisions or your worth as a business owner drains your energy far more than the determination that comes from making clear, decisive choices.

The Skills You Develop When You Focus on Building Yourself as a Business OWNER

So, what changes when you focus on your development as a business owner? Let’s look at some of the skills you build and how they benefit you and your business.

• Clarity of Purpose: With clarity comes focus. When you’re clear on your mission, it’s easier to tune out noise and zero in on strategies that align with your vision.

• Decision-Making Confidence: Building yourself as the business owner equips you with the confidence to make decisions and stick to them. You learn to trust your decisions even when results aren’t immediate, instead of second-guessing every choice and changing tactics too quickly.

• Stamina: Business, like life, has ups and downs. Strengthening your mindset helps you ride these waves with understanding and compassion. Instead of feeling defeated by setbacks, you start viewing them as part of the journey and use them to grow.

• Self-Trust and Independence: Learning to listen to your intuition and trust yourself means you can approach your business independently. Rather than leaning too much on external advice, you develop a leadership style that’s uniquely yours.

Some Tools to support you as a Business Owner

There are numerous practices and resources that can support you in this journey. I find that journaling, mindset work, affirmations, spiritual practices, and even tools like meditation and psychology courses can help ground me as a business owner. These personal tools aren’t just “nice-to-haves.” They create the foundation for making informed, empowered business decisions, allowing you to approach challenges with a sense of calm and confidence. You’ll find that the more grounded you are, the less likely you are to be drawn to emotional decision making. This ultimately frees up energy to stay focused on your big-picture vision instead of getting bogged down in day to day activities or challenges.

Ask Yourself: What’s the Cost of Staying Stuck?

As you consider your business goals for next year, ask yourself this: What is it costing you to keep feeling unsure, overwhelmed, or stuck? Imagine how it would feel to move forward with confidence, to make decisions and trust them, to build momentum instead of being bogged down by doubt. Think about how much more you could achieve if you weren’t constantly struggling with self-doubt or indecision.

My goal in sharing all of this is not to tell you what to do but to encourage you to look at the costs honestly. If you’re ready to invest in yourself, my Build the Business Owner (BTBO) training can help and guide you, but remember, your growth as a business owner is ultimately up to you. Whether through a programme or by taking self-guided steps, making a commitment to prioritise your own personal, leadership and mindset development as a business activity could completely change your business experience and your success.

You’re in charge 

Fundamentally, building the business owner is an ongoing exercise in self-empowerment. It’s about realizing that your success is in your hands. When you invest in your growth, you equip yourself to handle any challenge that comes your way. You become the steady, reliable force in your business, no matter what’s happening in the world around you.

If you’re interested in learning more, I’d be honoured to help. You can find out more about my BTBO programme below or get in touch on Instagram (I’m @elleturner_writer) if you have any questions. I'm very happy to chat it out in the DMs or hop on a call to discuss - just let me know!

In the meantime, remember: I’m rooting for you, always. Invest your time, money and energy in your potential not your fears, because YOU are the biggest asset in, and for, your business.

Elle xo

AI transparency: Using an original script, written by Elle for the Taking It Personally podcast, ChatGPT created the first draft of this blog post! Very modern :)

For solopreneurs, or business owners with 1 or 2 of a team, who want  to show up and share their message confidently and consistently to attract kindred soul clients, a like-hearted community and make sales.

Enrolment is open for Build the Business Owner. Find out more here.

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