How to fall back in love with your business
Valentine's Day has made me think about love. Not the romantic kind, but rather the love your business needs and how to rekindle that passion if it fizzles out.
It’s all too easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day when running a business. The excitement can disappear quite easily, especially if things aren’t quite going your way. Maybe you’re not making enough sales, or maybe you’re too busy.
This state of mind isn’t normally something that happens noticeably, it creeps up and takes over while your attention is elsewhere. The problem is your business needs love to thrive.
When you fall out of love with what you do, it takes the wind out of your sails and can make you miserable, but crucially it may also be evident to your customers. Just as a small business owner’s passion can shine through their marketing and communications, a lack of it can be just as obvious.
So, how can you fall back in love with your business?
Remember why you started up
Think back to when you were starting up, or even before then. What motivated you to set up your own business? What made you decide on the product or service you provide?
Reminding yourself of what motivated you to start a business, can help to remind you why you are working so hard. When there’s a reason why it is easier to do.
Look at how far you’ve come
If you’re running a business, I’m sure you have plenty to be proud of – but maybe you can’t see it at the moment.
Taking the time to look back at what you have learnt, how much you’ve developed as a person and how much money you’ve made can help you to recognise your successes. I bet there’s something you used to really struggle with, that’s now a piece of cake.
Celebrate each win. Be proud.
Focus on your goals
Looking to the future, at how I want to develop my business and what I want to achieve, really helps to motivate me when I’m in a slump.
To avoid feeling overwhelmed by what seem like unattainable goals, create a plan outlining how you are going to achieve them, or even what you need to do to get to the next step.
Reclaim some time for yourself
When you keep going at full throttle, it is easy to feel worn down and forget that you love what you do. To help maximise the use of your time automate or build processes for anything you can, and make sure you manage your time effectively.
Schedule your social posts (I use Buffer), use accounting software (I use FreeAgent, but have been told Wave is good if you don’t want to pay) and use online tools like Calendly and Trello to help you make the most of your time and keep things running smoothly.
If you find yourself always struggling for time, it’s also worth considering what can be outsourced to someone else. If your accounts take you ages, then why not pay someone else to do them?
Being honest with yourself about how you spend your time is the first step. Why not try logging your activity over a week? You may be surprised at how much time you spend on some activities.
And spend that time wisely
Once you have managed to take some of the pressure off, make sure you use the time wisely. Working yourself to the bone and feeling like you are about to burn out all the time, is not going to help you enjoy running your business.
Schedule some time in each week to do something for you. It doesn’t have to be huge or expensive (though a massage and lunch out would be lovely), but could be as simple as a peaceful bath or reading a book for half an hour. After you’ll feel rejuvenated and raring to go.
Once you've found the love for your business again, let your customers see it. Your passion, dedication and loyalty with be evident in your communications, customer service and impeccable standards. It'll make your business stand out and keep your customers coming back. And it will protect your happiness and sanity.
