International Women's Day 2014: 5 Simple Steps to Beat the Small Biz Blues

By Stefanie Neyland, Small Business Content Developer at BizLaunch.com

When you start a new business excitement runs high. You enjoy a sense of reward like no other at the slightest achievements—big or small—and your passion and dedication is visible for all to see (and it’s likely even a little contagious). The world is your oyster, and for perhaps the first time in your life, you’re truly in control of your own destiny.

 

These are just some of the fantastic perks that come with launching your own business venture, but as with anything in life, when routine takes over that initial excitement can begin to dissipate. Perhaps you’re tired of the long hours or fed up of having to do the nitty-gritty tasks that you don’t enjoy. Either way, it’s likely that at one time or another you may find yourself suffering from an unwanted case of the ‘Small Biz Blues’. As business owners we’re highly susceptible to SBB,  so the question is: what’s the key to keeping the spark for your business alive?

 

Today we explore four ways small business owners can relight that fire.

 



 

1. Build a business on passion

One of the most important ingredients of building a successful business is genuine passion. When that passion forms the cornerstone of your business, it can only lead to great things. If you’re truly passionate about the core of your business, when routine starts to take over it isn’t difficult to remember and rediscover what led you to form your venture in the first place.

 

2. Don’t be afraid to open up

Swallowing your pride and admitting that things aren’t going as well as you’d like is easier said than done, but it’s important not to keep your worries bottled up—share your thoughts and concerns with others and know when to ask for help. No one is superhuman and we all need support and cooperation from others every once in a while.

 

3. If you don’t like it, delegate it

When business owners first dream of their business, the likelihood is that they envision themselves doing all the things they love on a daily basis—not the more mundane tasks that owning a business really entails (think bookkeeping, paying bills and filing papers). We naturally want to wear many hats and be experts of all aspects of our business, but the truth is that the small tasks we don’t enjoy can often detract us from our core strengths, consume hours of valuable time, and suck the enjoyment out of work. The key to avoiding this is to identify your key strengths and weaknesses, and outsource the tasks you’re not so good at.

 

4. Socialize with like-minded people

Getting together with like-minded people is a great way to overcome those all-too familiar roadblocks you may encounter every once in a while. When you surround yourself with creative individuals who bring out the best in you, the rest will take care of itself—the ideas will flow and you’ll receive the affirmation all entrepreneurs need.

 

5. Maintain perspective

Over time, the minutiae of running a small business can begin to cloud your overall goals and visions, leading you to forget why you started your business in the first place. The trick is to never lose perspective, always look at the bigger picture, and remain committed to the goals you set for yourself at the very beginning.

 

Bonus tip: Get enough sleep

This is extremely important for all business owners—especially for those who have a tendency to work all hours of the night. To work efficiently and be truly productive, we all need plenty of rest, and if you’re not getting it you’re doing yourself a disservice. Find a sleeping pattern that works for you and allow yourself at least a couple of hours each and every day for ‘you’ time.