When you set out to start a business it is tough, but exciting. You get that entrepreneurial itch. All those great ideas, passion, and energy just run through you at times as you build something that is yours, something that is new. Eventually, business gets grindy, though, doesn’t it? Pay the bills, clean the store, handle complaints, file taxes, take inventory, blah, blah, blah… Pretty soon you get caught up in the grind and lose the fire.
So, how do you stay motivated to grow your business and make it better? These three things can get you going, and keep you excited.
Work on your branding
Your business has a personality of its own. Whether it’s just you and your computer, you and twenty five employees in an office, or you and your partner in your retail shop, your business takes on a life of its own. People who meet your business perceive it in a certain way, have certain expectations, have an aversion or affinity. And, that’s a good thing. You can us it. That’s what marketers call “branding.”
Often when people think of branding they just think about colors, a name, and a logo, but branding is so much more than that. It is the decor in your shop. The friendly service you offer. The words in your emails, the product(s) you sell, and the mission you are setting out to accomplish. Branding is the heart of your business. That’s why there are very few better ways to ignite (or re-ignite) your passion for your business than by thinking about and planning your brand.
The thing is, you will have a brand whether you work on it or not. Your business will always have a persona. Customers and potential customers will always have a perception of you. The “trick” in marketing is to plan that persona. You can decide what personality your business will have. You can decide how you want to portray and display what sets you apart from the competition. And there is always something. There is always something that makes you unique, and that makes you worth choosing.
Work on your branding, and you’ll have to think about what you offer, what you do that truly helps people and betters their lives. And when you do that then you can’t help but get passionate about your business.
Talk to your customers
Sure, you’ve probably had some difficult, and maybe even downright awful customers. And you will likely have them in the future. But, you can learn from them. By seeking to understand their criticisms, what makes them tick, or even if they are the kind of customers worth pursuing, you can glean a lot from your experiences with them. Maybe they are difficult, but maybe some of what they said has a bit of truth in it. Maybe they will help you realize you need to target a better market with a pool of customers that better fits your business. View difficult clients as a challenge, a puzzle to be unraveled, and you can boost your passion in your business.
What can really get your entrepreneurial juices flowing again, though, are the good customers. Those are the customers you need to really talk to. Invite them to a special meeting to really get to know them. Find out their stories. How have they been helped by your services and products? If you can’t meet, then at least ask for testimonials and reviews – no strings attached. Just ask for honest, real feedback. When you hear what they have to say not only will you have great material for your marketing (with their permission, of course), but you won’t be able to help but be inspired.
It’s so easy to treat customers like numbers, like dollars. It takes work to talk to them, and to really listen. But, if we take the time to listen we will learn so much about them, about ourselves, and about our business. Make a list of the customers you need to talk to, and reach out to them this week.
Set some goals
Several years ago I made a pretty big career change. By pretty big, I mean completely different. It took a lot of work, a lot of late nights and extra hours, to build a new foundation. I’m sure you’ve been there, too, where you were ragged and worn, and the payoff wasn’t coming any time soon, but you pressed on.
If you’re like me, and probably if you’re just human, then your drive ebbs and flows. Maybe you spend weeks or months focused, and growing, and learning, and building…only to drift back into just getting things done and getting by. There’s obviously something to be said for taking breaks from the grind, making time for family, leisure, and sleep! But I remember the thing that kept me going when I was working hard to make a big change: a goal. I was working to accomplish something, and I wasn’t going to be stopped.
That’s why we need something to work for. You need goals to accomplish. Set a dollar value, a market to expand to, a manufacturer to carry. Make it big enough to drive you, but still within reach. It should be exciting and challenging, but doable. And tell someone about it, someone who cares and who will get excited with you. Set a goal and work toward it.
These are just a few areas that can help fan your entrepreneurial spark, but there are plenty more: family, pride, supporting employees, involvement in your community. Find what keeps you going and hold on to it! Keep building your brand!
P.S. – What do you do to stay motivated? Let us know in the comments!
