Let’s face it – building your own business can be a rough ride sometimes.
The hours are long, there are never enough days to get everything done, and the cash flow isn’t always great (don’t get me wrong… building your own business is a wonderful ride – but the highs come with lows).
So sometimes you need to take a little time to fall back in love with your business again…
Today, just for you, I’m sharing my top 5 ways to fall in love with your business again. Grab a pen and paper and let’s get started.
1. Remember why you started all of this
You started your own business for a reason, right? You were driven by something, a need, a desire, a love – so what was it?
When I very first started my own business I was working as a retail manager, the hours were long and shitty. I’d work 6pm til 6am, or from 5am, or til 10pm and over weekends… and then I had a baby. I first registered an ABN because I wanted to provide a flexible and fulfilling lifestyle for myself and my family.
Why did you start? Write it down and stick it somewhere you can see it.
2. Write down your big picture, what will your business look like
It’s very easy to get lost when you don’t know where you are going… and it’s very easy to get disheartened when you can’t see the big picture.
Take some time to sit down and write out “What will your business look like 2 years from now?”
Be as clear as you can for me… tell me how many people work in your business? What is your turnover? Where are you working from? Who are you working with? And importantly, how are you feeling about it all?
3. Blow your own trumpet
I shared this on my Facebook page last week and everyone agreed! There are many times when you are going to need to blow your own trumpet and tell the world how amazing you are. This is a hard one, I know that we are bought up to be modest, to say nice things about others, but never to gloat about ourselves… but it’s time to break off those old shackles. Be proud of you and what you have achieved and tell people. Tell the world!!
Your challenge is to write down something you are really proud of achieving, what have you done well? And if you are feeling really brave, share it on social media, tell the world just how awesome you are and how proud you are.
4. Celebrate the small stuff
Business is going to be a hard uphill struggle if your goal is a multi-million dollar turnover and you refuse to celebrate anything before that.
One of the best ways to fall back in love with your business is to start to celebrate the little wins, as well as the big ones. Sign a new client? Do a happy dance! Complete a new project? Celebrate with lunch out.
You celebrations don’t need to be big, a wonderful friend of mine and her team simply ring a bell every time they place a new prospect. The simple joy of running across the room to ding the bell puts a smile on all of their faces. So, work out some little ways you can celebrate the small stuff.
5. Take time off!!
This is a big one for a lot of small business owners. You have a million things to do, and not enough people to do them… right??
I get that – oh trust me, I get that!!
But I also know that you are useless to everyone if you burn out. I’ve been there… I’ve had days when I couldn’t move from the bed or the couch and the simple task of answering the phone or even opening my email seemed simply terrifying.
So take a little time out. It’s the little things that count. Take a lunch break instead of eating in front of your laptop, go for a 15 min walk, grab a coffee with a friend… and there are plenty of other options too.
Take a minute to write a list of little things you could do to take time off, and then commit to doing one of them today.
So there you go… 5 ways to fall in love with your business again.
As with everything I do, information is useless unless you implement. If you haven’t done so already, grab a pen and paper and go back and answer all the questions on the way through, write them down!
And then take some action – you can start by taking time off 😉
– Sam
P.S – I’d love to hear all about you – head over to my facebook page and share why you started your business and what you big picture is.