Does the light at the end of your business tunnel seem too far away?

When you feel you are near it does it suddenly move?

If your answer is yes, then you are experiencing what everyone in business goes through, it is normal!

There are a few reasons for this;

What were your perceptions at the start of your business? You will have maybe had slightly unrealistic expectations as to how quickly things would take off or how many customers you would have gained and then reality kicked in. The solution to this is to change your approach. Are you doing enough towards your objectives, or are you reliant on other people and situations? If so take back the control and you’ll be able to influence the result. By building connections with reliable business people and sourcing your own “virtual team” you can be in total control whilst taking advantage of services and help from others.

Do you ask for help when you face difficulties? Sometimes the temptation is to struggle on and pride gets in the way, but there are many organisations and initiatives out there designed to help, including local enterprise agencies, chambers of commerce and volunteer mentors. Being in business is never easy and will always present frustrations, but it is how you approach those frustrations that can make the difference.

Do you become complacent when times are good? This is a natural reaction to start to feel untouchable when the till is ringing, but it can stop just as quickly, so always being proactive and observant, whilst encouraging continual feedback from clients, this will ensure that inertia doesn’t set in. Conversely doing well can spur you on to doing even better, which is a far better mindset.

There is no such thing as overnight success, in fact I’ve seen a quote recently that “Overnight success can take years!” If you are putting the effort in with the expectation that you will be an overnight success, then you are going to feel more demotivated more quickly. Patience, determination, passion and being proactive are all the ingredients that transport you towards success a bit more rapidly.

Changing your perspective and setting smaller goals more often that are more achievable will eradicate the ‘I never get there’ syndrome and increase levels of satisfaction.

Please leave your comments about your own experiences, you never know who this could help and somebody may be able to help you and if you need a little extra help to assess business goals, more information about virtual teams or just to talk through plans for business growth, we’re always happy to meet and discuss.

Joanne