Can a little self-doubt improve your business?

From Fallon Drewett, The Just Saying Project
Having the super power to believe in yourself can be a rare commodity when facing unknown territory.
For me, the unknown territory was starting a small community based business specialising in the self-confidence of women called The Just Saying Project.
I have the creative drive but for the most part of the past 12 months, I have been winging the business side. And by winging it, I mean trying to organically build my brand on a limited budget and let my words do the talking.
It is always a test for creative people in business, making sure you have the balance right. This is something I am still finding out, plus some days I doubt whether I have the business capacity to be a success.
Which got me thinking, is there room in creative business for self-doubt?
Creative people, like myself, often grapple with the esteem of their egos and whether what they have created will gain attention and, in the end, put food on the table. There are days when I don’t see myself as a businessperson, I feel as if I am fooling myself by thinking ‘what the hell are you doing, you don’t know anything about business, you are an amateur’.
I believe there is room for a little bit of self-doubt in business, not every day, but on occasion. Acknowledging your self-doubt can actually trigger where you might be going wrong in your business plan, your thought processes and execution of ideas.
Self-doubt can lead to an open perspective. However the trick is to not let self doubt take over, utilise the doubt you are having and make changes to push forward.
It is kind of like the nerves before a speech or a performance, nerves and self-doubt can increase the adrenalin; reminding you that anything worthwhile will have its moments of insecurity. For me, the moments of insecurities I have felt as a business beginner have made me more passionate about learning more. As a former journalist, I have always believed knowledge is power. You can never doubt the importance of education from either books or my favourite, other people.
People are the greatest teachers and, in those moments of doubt, they can be great sounding boards and give advice you might never have thought of.
Being open to the passion of other people is vital. I have found it actually fuels my passion. It makes me want to be a better person both personally and in business.
I truly believe you cannot have passion without a little bit of doubt. We need the light and shade, to motivate and help us create.
Passion is what we need to ‘back ourselves’ and believe in who we are. And if you are passionate about your business idea or business you won’t let self-doubt be king.