Running your own small business is something to be very proud of. Besides creating a means to make a living for yourself it often means you can also create a job, or sometimes multiple jobs, for others. Being self reliant in this manner is often not sufficiently recognised among people who have never experienced such a situation and as a result it carries with it a certain air about it of being easy, and the belief that anybody can do it.
This is not true of course as any self employed person will be only too ready to tell you. There is the ongoing conflict with debtors to be constantly on top of as well as that of continually having to earn more than the business is costing you to run it. Many small business owners are therefore thankful to whoever invented credit cards. Credit cards can help you to balance out the low income weeks with those that are quite profitable.
Where is Your Motivation Coming From?
When things get tough, the phone is constantly ringing, and your non-productive paper work is building up on your desk, one of your best employees tells you he is moving on and your bank manager tells you your overdraft is at its limit, you can be excused for thinking, ‘is it all worthwhile?’ You know it is so you battle on. It is these times that you somehow find the motivation to continue, but have you ever stopped to wonder where this motivation is coming from?
Avoid Excess Stress
Small business owners are a breed of their own. They complain about the stress involved but at the same time they actually thrive on it. Sure you can get run down like anyone else but like the age old saying in the entertainment industry, ‘the show must go on.’ Here lies the motivation needed to keep you going. You know you can’t stop, the whole business is relying on you, not to mention the employees, if you have any. So what do you do? You bury yourself in work, but if this is you change your ways urgently with the following tips.
Reward Yourself From Time to Time
The danger of becoming immersed in your work however is that all work and no play can eventually dull your enthusiasm for being in business. You must therefore keep the fun in running your own business intact, despite any hardships on the way. One way of doing this is when you have had a good week, money has rolled in quite freely, your credit card has been completely cleared of any debt and the sun is shining outside – pack up early ask your partner to get spruced up a bit and go out for dinner.
Re-assess Goals on Good Weeks
It is also a good time to go back over any goals you might have set yourself to review how you are tracking. Never review your personal challenges such as goal setting, after a bad week. Always choose a good week to look back on your progress and to re-set goals for the future. These are important practices to keep up in order to keep your motivation levels high. You will find you will need to set short term goals before you can attain any long term achievements, so carrying out these necessary steps after experiencing a good week will see you accomplishing them all that much easier.
Take Time Out When You Feel Like it.
Another good motivational practice is to take time off now and again during the day to do something you personally enjoy. You might have to work back a little longer that night to make up for the time lost but get out there and spoil yourself for an hour or so. It is something you couldn’t do when you worked for an employer but as you are now the master of your own destiny it doesn’t hurt to prove that to yourself once in a while. This type of freedom is what motivated you to work for yourself in the first place so never forget it. The same goes for a weekend away every so often. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it could be camping. Whatever you like doing best, get out there and do it. You will find the fresh approach you return to work with will be well worth the effort.
Compliment Yourself on Your Achievements
By getting away from the stresses associated with running a small business you will become re-energised. If you don’t you can very easily become run down and it is then that things start getting the better of you. If you have an employee who is obviously becoming overly stressed at work you would be a bad boss if you didn’t go to him with a motivational talk and tell him how important he was to the business. You would then advise him to go home early for the day and come back tomorrow. All refreshed and ready to go again. There is no one to do this to you, so you must do it yourself. We are all human, we all like to be complimented by being told how important we are in what we are doing. Don’t hold back on telling yourself how important you are to your own business as long as you keep it to yourself and don’t get caught talking to yourself.
Join a Community Organisation
It is also motivational to join Rotary, Lions or some other business organisation or network where you can chat to other small business people. In this type of company you will be able to share ideas and discuss what is affecting your business among peers. It also allows you to do some voluntary work for which you will gain a certain level of achievement in giving back to the community. Especially if the project you are working on assists those who are less well off than yourself.
Keeping The Passion
Motivation can also be fuelled by passion. You no doubt had passion in abundance when you started your business and you need to carry this same passion with you throughout your business life. This can be achieved by re-visiting the reasons why you started your business in the first place. What made you believe so strongly about what you were doing at that time? It is a question you need to keep asking yourself every time you feel a little tired of the daily grind. You will find the same need is still there and your passion will live on as a result.
This article was written by Timothy Ng. You can read more of his work at http://www.creditcardfinder.com.au/ where he has a number of comprehensive guides to all types of credit cards.
Leah Gibbs is the Founder and Business Manager of Lifestyle Careers.
Lifestyle Careers is an online recruitment job board. Our niche and specific focus is the advertising of flexible employment and work at home positions. It is designed for professionals wanting to balance their work and personal life.
