Do you remember dreaming about your new business venture? About how it will all magically come together and become a roaring success? Of course, in the initial stages of setting up your business, every part of the process would have been exciting, with motivation and determination flowing easily and freely…
But fast forward a few years down the line… Do you still feel the same way about your business? Or has it all become a bit tainted with hardship and challenges along the way?
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” – Colin Powell
Business is tough. Running a business takes hard work and commitment at the best of times. But if we take into account the past 2 years of utter uncertainty and chaos, you would be excused for feeling tired, deflated and unmotivated as a business owner. Perhaps you are questioning your commitment… Perhaps you have just fallen out of love with your business and the passion you once had in abundance has been dampened by an icy bucket of lacklustre and reality.
If this is you, there is hope. You may need to make a few changes and accept a bit of a kick up the behind, but you can still turn things around and reinvigorate your love for your business! Here’s how:
1. Reignite your mindset
Find a different angle to look at your business from. Remind yourself of the reason why you started on this business journey in the first place. It’s easy to lose track of your purpose, so review it and reflect on it. Think and speak positively about your business and try to remind yourself daily why you love what you do.
2. Get reacquainted with your focus
Try to always keep your main objective in sight, even when your focus may shift at times. Redefine the core of your business and focus on what you do best, rather than over diversifying your services and extending yourself too far.
3. Swipe left on your dislikes
Figure out what’s stressing you out about your business, reevaluate and write it all down. Ask yourself some hard questions and answer them honestly. Is your to-do list too long? Are your long working hours having a negative effect on your home life? Do you have staffing issues that need to be addressed? Try to filter out the things that irk you and you will be left with more of what you love in your business.
4. Set the scene
Create an environment that you will enjoy working in every day. Smarten up your workspace, invest in the tools and equipment that will make your life easier, streamline processes if it will make you more efficient. If you find your workplace more enjoyable to work in, chances are that your employees will too. Keeping staff morale high is key in order to maintain their engagement and encourage open communication within your business.
5. Share the love… delegate!
Business owners often get bogged down by the sheer volume of things to do on a daily basis. But you do not need to do it all yourself. Delegate to competent and trusted employees or outsource to specialists where possible. Stick to the tasks you enjoy most and focus on what you’re good at. If doing the business books gives you headaches, find an experienced bookkeeper (like SYM!) to take it off your hands. This will free up your time to work on those tasks that will rekindle your interest in your business.
6. Indulge in personal development
Avoid stagnation by investing in learning and developing some new skills. With business growth comes a need for an evolved skill set, and this could be just the thing to reignite your excitement when it comes to your business. Read or listen to books, attend seminars, sign up for workshops. You will feel empowered and ready to take on the next stretch in your business journey with newfound enthusiasm.
7. Light a flame with some new goals
Working on a plan and setting some ambitious business goals will give you something to work towards. Having something other than the tedious daily to-do list to work on is sure to put some fire back in your belly and keep you motivated.
8. Get your mingle on
Join a professional networking group with high-energy, enthusiastic members. Being around inspiring entrepreneurs and professionals can be very motivating and will help revive your business drive. If you grab opportunities to talk to others about your business, you may even start looking at it again in a different light!
At the end of the day, running a business can be much like a romantic relationship. When the flame is alight and the passion alive, we feel invincible, like nothing will ever dampen the spark. But once the rose tinted glasses come off and reality hits, it can be hard to find that feeling again. If you believe that the passion is still there and your ‘why’ still stands, perhaps these points can help you on your quest to fall in love with your business all over again!
The SYM Dream Team would love to assist you in getting back your business mojo, so reach out today!
