When did you decide that you wanted to start your own business? Did you have that exciting light bulb moment where you were scratching for a pen, scribbling down your ideas on the back of an envelope or serviette? For most, starting a business is a very exciting time. You’ve got an idea you’ve fallen in love with, butterflies in your stomach and an immense passion to make it every bit of a success. A year or two down the line however, things can start to feel a little bit different. Here you are, you have a few tax returns under your belt, procedures in place and sales are ticking away nicely, but for some, that excitement and enthusiasm may have started to fade. So how can you regain that passion for your business? We look at 5 simple ways you can fall back in love with your business (again).
1. Romantic Getaway
That’s right! Getaway, take a break, book a holiday! We all know the saying ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ well maybe a break away from the business is just what you need. Taking yourself away from the situation will allow you to truly reflect on certain aspects of your business and think about any new goals you’d like to reach. You’ll come back not only refreshed and raring to go, but with new ideas and a different outlook on your business.
If you can’t stretch to a holiday, then how about having some ‘switch off’ time? In today’s world it seems we are constantly faced with a barrage of alerts from morning till night and with our phones being connected to everything, it makes it harder to switch off. It could just be small things, to begin with; turning off the instant alerts on your phone or perhaps no devices after 7pm? Learning to switch off means you’ll feel more in control, more focussed and not just reacting to everything around you.
2. Reignite the Passion
Think back to the early days of your business, the excitement and the drive you had to make your business a success. How can you recreate this feeling now you have achieved your goals? We always encourage people not to see their business plan as a one-off document you do in the early stages, but an ongoing piece of business ammo that keeps you on track and helps you develop your business. If you haven’t already, find your business plan, read it and remember the reason you started and while you’re there, why not add to it and set yourself new challenges.
3. Love Letters
Read your testimonials and feedback, everyone needs a little ego boost every now and then and they can do the world of good to increase motivation. If you don’t have any, then what are you waiting for? Put systems in place to find out what your customers think about your products or services. Even if you receive negative comments, this will give you something to work on and will make your business better for it.
Also, how about taking the time to jot down the achievements you and your business have made. Have you been featured in the press or won an award? You could start a scrapbook filled with milestones, kind words and success stories and dig it out for when you need a little boost, better yet display it for your customer or prospective clients to see.
4. Dress to Impress
When was the last time you properly looked at your branding and marketing materials? Perhaps in the early stages of your business, this was the last thing on your mind, or the budget was tight, could it now stand for a little TLC? A new logo or website will make you re-evaluate your business and what you stand for and a new project is bound to get you motivated.
If a new logo isn’t on the cards, then how about updating the homepage or your about page? Sometimes the contents of a website can be forgotten, and with so many of us using the internet to begin our search for products and services, you need it to be the best possible reflection of you and your business.
5. Try Something New
Let’s face it it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Things become comfortable and familiar, we stick to a routine and it’s all too easy to say ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’ But if you really want to stay motivated and stay in love with your business, then maybe it’s time to push the boundaries and try new things. Here are a few ideas to get that spark back:
- Set some new goals and targets
- Launch a new product
- Host an event or seminar
- Start a blog
- Attend a new networking event
- Collaborate with another business
- Learn a new skill
- Find a business mentor
- Get actively involved with your industry
- Explore new markets
- Try Social Media
- Create a promotional video
- Share your expertise and mentor others
Once a business becomes established it is important to have a positive approach in developing the business further. For any advice on further developing your business just get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
February 7th, 2014
