Are you wondering how to create success as a small business owner and keep the momentum going? When you first start out in your business, you’ll relish the freedom and feel pumped for so many possibilities.
After a while, though, you may realize that working for yourself has a downside. No one is there telling you what to do. On the plus side, not having a boss feels great. On the negative side, on days when you don’t feel like producing, the absence of an authority figure setting you up with a task list can really hurt your bottom line. This can be a major issue in your success as a business owner… but it doesn’t have to be.
Here are some tips on how to keep your motivation levels high and your focus primed. This is important, so sit up straight and listen up.
Every day, you MUST act on behalf of your business if you want to keep the money coming in. Every day! So, there is no room for a pity party, slack-off session, or lack of direction. Nobody else is running this show, and no one else cares as much as you. No one!
Nix the time wasters.
Get good at identifying and eliminating people and activities that waste your time. Just get rid of them. As a business owner, your time is money, so don’t forget it. It doesn’t matter too much what’s going on outside your business; that’s a minimal concern. You only need to know just enough to help you decide what the important next action is to take. Beyond that, your time is being wasted, so move along to the next positive thing and set yourself up for results.
Keep a to-do list.
You don’t necessarily have to use a pen and paper if you prefer to have an electronic version of your list. However, there is something really grounding about writing in a plain old-fashioned notebook to put your goals right there in front of you. Checking off each task as you or a helper completes it feels extremely satisfying. If you’re an especially creative person, you can even get fancy with your to-do list. You can get an artsy planner, make a vision board, or otherwise express yourself in a way that motivates you personally.
Minimize screen time if possible.
If you run an online business and do it right, you’re spending a large amount of your daily hours staring at a computer. This has the effect of ruining your eyesight, weakening your muscles, and creating poor posture, which likely has a bad result on how your body functions on the inside. So, if you’re feeling sluggish, cranky, moody or obsessive, that’s a signal that you’ve been looking at the screen for way too long. Get away, take in some sunshine, talk to people and do something you love.
Exercise every day.
You MUST exercise to keep yourself in balance. This goes along with the prior point. It’s very important to make movement and tension release a daily priority. You’ll turn into a miserable troll if you don’t, and from there it’s a slippery slope. Becoming out of shape and feeling grumpy means you won’t want to be seen in videos, your attitude may need an adjustment and your productivity may take a nosedive. So get the blood flowing, move those muscles, keep spirits up and take the time to take care of YOU. Then, get back to business and get ready to kick some butt!
Put systems in place to automate your daily workload.
This takes an investment of your time and money up front, but it’s worth it if you want your company to become a well-oiled, self-running machine. Look into computer software, websites, online tools, and people to set things up for you. Develop communication templates and handouts that you can offer your customers if your business is conducted in the physical world. Create routines and schedules. Hire helpers and give them processes and procedures to follow. If something isn’t working, go back to the drawing board and try something else.
Create multiple income streams.
If the economy changes and your profits dip, that’s a scary feeling for sure. But it won’t be nearly as bad if you know that you have a backup form of income that’s still coming in. A true entrepreneur will devise multiple ways of bringing in money and set up each one to run somewhat independently, so they can focus on one aspect of their business while the other one is making them money on the side. Business experts do things like invest in real estate, put their money in the stock market, run a Laundromat, buy and manage a vending machine, offer seasonal services and things of this nature. Keeping a variety of income sources is fun and exciting, a change of pace every so often. Get a side hustle, it’s the thing to do!
If you have an online business, you can offer services to your customers and sell physical products. You can write ebooks and courses, create niche sites, and sell the ebooks and courses via those sites. Build a following online and share information and tools with the learners on your list. Become an affiliate of other experts and promote their products for more passive income.
There’s really no limit to what you can turn into income. Just pick something and try it out. If it doesn’t work out for you, at least you learned something. But you can’t do any of this if you’re not motivated.
So, what motivates you?
- Taking a walk in nature?
- Playing loud music?
- Moving around, singing and dancing?
- Brainstorming with creative friends?
Do all of that and more. Motivation and positive thinking are the keys to your success as a small business owner.
Don’t drop the ball, find your passion, and get excited!
FROM SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR, ALEX GENADINIK
- 4 Hours
- Step-by-Step
- 20 Modules
- Actionable Downloads Included
A complete 20-module, 108-video training course designed to accelerate the start-up of your new business idea.
Alex will take you by the hand and guide you, step-by-step, beginning with the idea phase. The course doesn’t end until you have a complete business ready to launch.
