7 ways to stay motivated as a small business owner

We don’t all wake up super motivated every day. And that is OK – we are only human. If you are feeling demotivated how can you kick start that motivation and get you focused and back on track. Here are 7 tips to help you out.

1. Know your Why

Remember WHY you started your business. What is your vision?  What is driving you to succeed? This might spark some enthusiasm and get you motivated again. Get back to the beginning and remember the passion you had when you started.

2. Have a clear strategy

Demotivation can stem from being overwhelmed or uncertain about the future ahead. All sorts of negative scenarios run through our heads and our human brain often goes straight to the worst case.

Instead, have a clear plan that details your market and how you are going to generate revenue. What is your short & long strategy? Be clear on what you need to do each day to achieve it.

4. Don’t get distracted

A big reason for having a plan or strategy is to stay focused. It is very easy to get distracted with offers, new tools or products that won’t help you get to your end goal. And one of the biggest distractions is the internet & social media. Planning helps you to minimise wasted time.

3. It doesn’t need to be perfect

It can be easy to procrastinate and use ‘but it’s not perfect’ excuse. Sometimes just getting your product into the market is the best way to refine and improve it. Waiting for it to be perfect, means you continue the procrastination cycle leading to burnout and eventually giving up. Action beats perfectionism.

5. Spend time with successful business owners

When you are feeling demotivated, spending time talking to fellow business owners can help you to remember that being in business isn’t a straight road. There are lots of tumbles and curves and wrong turns.

Hearing the stories of other business owners is a good reminder that there is no overnight success and often they are struggling with the same issues, even if they are not in your industry. Finding a like-minded business owner you can talk to regularly can help you stay motivated too

6. Make changes if needed

Sometimes, you might feel demotivated because you are stuck and you don’t find a way out. Take a step back, think about the end goal and design a path forward to that goal. It’s OK to pivot or change to get where you need to go. All businesses have done this. Talk to experts, do some research but more importantly go with your gut instinct.

7. Stop comparing

As a small business owner, it can be easy to compare yourself to others. You might think they had an easy road to success or are more successful than they actually are. Appearances can be deceiving. Everyone’s path is different. Comparing yourself to others is not a way forward.

It is natural to lack motivation and think about things that are going wrong. The best way to get out of this is to take intentional action. Action being the keyword!