Laura O. Biering, True Voices

True Voices of Decatur, Ga., launched in 1999, helping individuals come out of hiding, find their true voices and be their true selves — out loud.

‘Ah ha’ moment that led to launching the business: I realized that if I didn’t leave my job, where I was doing very well at what I didn’t love, that I would continue to die there, and that was unacceptable to me, especially since I heard my name being called by the work I did love, and the service I could do for my world.

Ideal customer: My target market is women (and “a few good men”) who have it all on the outside, but are headed for death within, if they don’t make a change — and soon. They are very good at what they do – especially when doing it for everyone else – but they have yet to give themselves permission to look within, and then admit and pursue their passions and dreams. I help them to do just that, and then come out as who they really are, and live lives of boldness, integrity, meaning and joy.

First customer: I was overheard during intermission at a poetry reading, saying that I wanted, more than anything, to help people find and heal themselves through their creativity and spirituality. I was contacted the next day a respected therapist who overheard me making my desires known, and who then hired me immediately to begin to teaching her clients The Artist’s Way, as well as leading them in spirituality exercises.

Measuring success: I measure success by the number and quality of transformations I am able to facilitate in my clients. Those “a-ha” moments are precious currency to me, and invaluable to them, as well. I also measure success by how consistently I am able to live in integrity with my own values. My earliest success was when I had to turn down invitations to teach and coach at various locations due to the lack of available time. I knew then that I had a “hit” on my hands, and that it was time to have an office at which I could deliver my offerings and not need to drive all over town to get the business. At the same time, I felt successful when the law firm from which I had “retired” asked me to come back and facilitate workshops as a gift for their employees. I took this to mean that they saw the value of what I was doing, as well as the value that I brought as an individual.

A more recent success was when one of my executive clients, who had accidentally been paying double my rates, realized this mistake. I had thought she was just paying ahead, but she thought that my rates were twice as high. When this was revealed to her, she said that she was relieved not to have to pay as much, but that she had been willing to pay the twice-as-high amount because I was worth it.

Biggest struggle: I am never at a loss for new ideas. This is a great place to be some of the time, but it can be a business killer when one allows herself to be there all the time. In order to overcome this curse/blessing, I have paid lots of professionals to tell me over and over to focus. I think that now, finally, it is actually starting to sink in, because I am currently in more action, completing things, than I have been in a long. Whew!

Surprise!: It’s harder than I thought it would be. I was quite naïve about the fact that delivering my gifts and finding people to deliver it to would be two very different things. I have rich gifts, and amazing process and many powerful tools that are of benefit to the world. The challenge to me is getting the word out there about these abilities in a clear and succinct way.

Promoting business: My energy can be infectious – in a good way. When I am feeling powerful and confident, and I am with people in person – either one-on-one or in front of a crowd – I am practically irresistible, to those who are ready for my services.

What you wish you would have known: That no matter what business we choose, we are always “in sales” and that you need more than a phone and a computer to run a business successfully, meaning some knowledge of how to run a business.

What keeps you up at night (business wise!)?: It used to be all the ideas that kept me up, along with the worries that the ideas will slip away before I can capture them, but I’m doing better with that one, now. Currently, it’s just the worry that I will oversleep and not get enough time the next day to do all the fun things I want to do in my business.

Ever tempted to throw in the towel and just get a job?: Sure – who hasn’t been tempted? Sometimes, the cash flow crunch just gets really scary. But I know if I throw in the towel that I’ll be living small, hiding out, headed for death just like my potential clients. And that’s just not acceptable.

Biggest goal: Increase revenue to at least $100,000, and I’m going to meet it by focusing my efforts on list-building, monetizing my gifts into products and services, and delivering those offerings at higher rates – all with the help of my great team.

Pricing: First, remember that “right” is a relative term. What is “right” for one person isn’t necessarily right for the next. This is true for buyers and sellers. What I think is an even more important issue to address it the fact that we as a culture, assign our ability to ask for and make money the job of telling us how much we are worth as people. This is a critical challenge to overcome if we as women business owners are ever going to succeed at our dreams. Once we know the difference between the two “values,” we can have the objectivity necessary for pricing our products and services within the context of the market.

Funding: When I first started my business, I had some savings and was still working part-time at the law firm. The next way I got funding is not what I’d recommend as a goal. I was gifted with an inheritance when my father died. It allowed me to leave an unhealthy marriage, and gave me the time and space to better focus on and grow my business.

A few good tips: The best tip I have to give is: GET HELP. Don’t try to figure it all out yourself. Find a virtual assistant or a business manager. Work with a coach or a mentor. Talk with colleagues. But don’t – do not – do it alone! It’s not how we are wired, and it doesn’t work.

The absolute best part of owning my own business is: knowing that I can do my part in healing the world by being myself and making a difference in the lives of people with whom I work, and the people with whom they come into contact with as well. It’s a positive ripple effect.

If I had to start all over again, I would have: hired a business manager sooner.

I never imagined: marketing would be so difficult.

If standing on a rooftop facing crowds of aspiring or struggling small business owners, I would shout: “Come out, come out, whoever you are! We need you. The world needs you.”