Fall Back In Love With Your Business

Running a business can leave you jaded and tired. Like keeping a marriage going, it's hard work, and often the rewards aren't as we hoped they would be. Being your own boss is no fairy tale. That's not to say running a business can't be rewarding. It can be extremely rewarding, if you take the right approach.

You can have a business you love. Even if you're at breaking point right now, you can re-kindle the fire.

So what's the secret to falling (back) in love with your business?

Keep It Real

Setting up a business is a wonderful thing to do, but there's no guarantee of success, or that everything will go to plan. Most likely, things will take longer and be more difficult than you imagined.

You're unlikely to be the next Bill Gates or Donald Trump (thank goodness!). We can't all be the Uber-rich Billionaires!

But you can earn a GREAT living, and create much more freedom for yourself doing something you enjoy.

Put On Your Wonder Goggles

It's easy to get dragged down by everything that frustrates you about your business. Maybe customers are giving you grief, or a supplier has let you down, or you get a knot of dread in your stomach every time you think about catching up on the bookkeeping.

Rather than zooming in on what's wrong with your business, take a bird's-eye view of everything, and pay attention to what's going well. Also notice what your business contributes to your overall life. What does it allow you to do that you couldn't do otherwise?

Relight Your Spark

Your spark is the reason you got into business in the first place. If you're in the process of starting a business, it's the reason that you want to set up a business.

What really matters to you? If "money" is your answer, go back to the drawing board. What did you want that money for?

For many people, what really matters is their family, or a friendship. Others will cite a desire for security, or adventure.

Whatever your spark is, make sure your business is set up to keep it flaring.

Know How Passion Really Works

"Follow your passion" is a catchphrase that's soared in popularity over the past 20 years. It's good advice, as long as you know what passion means.

Just like a job, your business is how you earn money. It doesn’t define all of who you are.

Too often, we're led to believe that our passion is the one thing that will make us happy and earn us a living, if only we discovered it. To go back to the marriage analogy, the passion myth is a lot like the romantic myth of the one true love.

The truth is, there are many people in the world who you could have a successful marriage with.

Likewise, there are many potential business niches you could develop a passion for. There are many business ideas that would be "right" for you and would fit your skills and abilities. Passion is something that grows over time slowly.

Just because your business isn't perfect doesn't mean it's not the right one for you. The only way you can develop a true passion for your business is to stick with it.

Do One Thing Well

It can be exhausting chasing the latest marketing trend or changing your offer every time you see a ‘competitor’ launch something new.? Every time you change direction you lose traction (& credibility) and are constantly on that steep learning curve.

We’ve been helping coaches, experts and entrepreneurs to attract premium clients for over 15 years. Yes, some of the strategies have changed (anyone remember Periscope??), and we’ve uplevelled our offers as our customer’s needs have grown, but essentially we serve the same clients, and fix the same problem - brilliant experts who feel like the’best kept secret’ and want to make more impact and income…fast.

So, take a breath, make a decision and COMMIT to one offer, one key message, one primary marketing strategy and you’ll find your business pays you back beyond your wildest dreams.

Your Business Doesn't Need You

Even if you're a one man band, chances are that your business doesn't need you as much as you think it does. Why not take a break from one another? You can give yourself a much-needed break in a number of ways:

• Outsource Tasks. Do you dread dealing with the mountains of enquiries in your email inbox? Or maybe it's handing the finances that drive you crazy? Whatever's bugging you most, you can probably outsource it.
• Take a sabbatical. Either live off your savings for a while, and put your business on hold, or put your business in the capable hands of an understudy.
• Take 20% Time. Google's famous policy of giving employees one day off per week to work on personal projects no longer exists. But while it was still around, it gave birth to AdSense and Gmail. Why not give yourself some free time away from your business to pursue your interests?

However you choose to take a break from your business, you'll return refreshed and reinvigorated, with new ideas.

Take a Long, Hard Look at Yourself

"The grass is always greener on the other side" is a well-known phrase for good reason. We all have an in-built tendency to assume life would be better, if only —

Your frustration with your business or your job could be an excuse for failing to deal with other things in your life that are bothering you.

No matter how many businesses you start, you can never run away from yourself.

Committing to the business you have can be a way of learning who you really are when you stick with something for the long haul. Jumping from one idea to the next is a way of avoiding reality.

What Are Your Tricks for Rekindling the Flame?

Running a business isn't all that different from any long-term relationship. What begins as a passionate dream fades into a more steady and reliable love.

The only trouble comes when cynicism sets in, or when you begin to wonder if you'd be better off elsewhere.

Sometimes, you do need to break away and make a brand new start. But often, all you need to do is rekindle the flame that got you started.

When the fires of love are burning low in your business, how do you go about pumping oxygen to get the flames burning again?

Get Help

There's nothing like creating massive results to re-kindle the spark for your business. But it can seem like a 'chicken and egg' situation. You might be thinking "I just can't get fired up when it's so tough". That's when hiring a mentor can make sense. If you know you're ready for a big leap in your business but are staying stuck on your own, consider getting help. A coach, mentor or mastermind can accelerate your results and give you the support you need. Maybe it's time to get help?

Helen Vandenberghe owns Get Clients Fast and helps coaches, consultants and experts to turn their wisdom into wealth with a bestselling book, keynote speech and a sales system that brings leads every day.

Interested in working with Helen? Book a call at www.Welcomecall.net