Working on a business is a challenge, and that’s true whether it’s a side hustle or you’ve gone all in, and this is your only job (and only source of income). It can be very tempting to just stop what you’re doing during the tough times and find employment somewhere, and if that’s truly what you want to do, then it’s the best thing for you. But if this is a momentary idea and you actually want to keep growing your business, it’s important to stay motivated – this will help you keep moving forward. With that in mind, here are some of the things you can do to stay motivated when you’re starting to wonder whether it’s all worth it.
Remember Why
There will have been a reason – perhaps more than one – that made you realize that working for yourself and starting your own business was what you wanted to do. It could be that you wanted to be your own boss, choose your own hours, work with and on your passion, prove to yourself that you could do it, leave something for future generations, and hundreds of other potential reasons why.
When you’re finding things hard, remember that reason why and it will help you stay firm and keep going. If that reason why is no longer important to you or doesn’t make sense or you can find it elsewhere, and in doing so, you would be happier, then try something else, but if not and it’s still vital to you, push on.
Speak To Your Customers
Something that can help a lot when you’re feeling demotivated with your business and how it’s going is to speak to your customers. Find out what they want and how they would like your business to move forward, and this could give you the spark and ideas you need to make a difference and be more motivated.
Something that can help you determine what it is your customers want is good market research with a MaxDiff tool. Once you have gained all the information you need, you can then make a plan to upgrade, update, and improve your business to be more in line with what people want. You’ll feel motivated by the changes and by the fact that you’ll make more sales when you’re done.
Know What You Can’t Do
It’s crucial to know what you can do in business and to use your strengths to build a better brand. However, it’s just as important to know what you can’t do. If you keep trying to do things that you just don’t have the knowledge about or the skills to do well, you’re sure to become demotivated; the outcome isn’t going to be what you want it to be.
By knowing what you can’t do and admitting that to yourself, you can take steps to improve. You can either learn how to do whatever it is you can’t do right now, or you can outsource the task. In either case, you’ll feel happier, and you will no longer be blocked by a lack of expertise.
