Whether your business started out as a side hustle, a hobby or out of pure necessity, one thing is for certain. There was passion at the beginning of it all. Just like a romantic relationship, the start of a new business is full of promise, excitement, and joy. Oh, and with just a touch of nerves, of course.
But as we all know, gravity is a consistent beast, and with each high, there is the inevitable low. We can fall out of love just as easily as we fell into it. Checking in with yourself, your values, your goals and your mental health is key. Let’s reignite the flame that brought you to where you are today and where you will be five years from now.
If you’ve asked yourself, “How can I rekindle the spark for my business?”, now is the time to take out your notebook. Let’s down that last bit of coffee that you’ve been nursing, because we’ve got work to do!
We’ve outlined 5 powerful steps that you can take to help rekindle the spark that first made you fall in love with your business:
1. Remember Why You Started
So, you’ve just faced a pandemic, scraped by on sheer willpower, and minimal sleep. You’ve pivoted and adjusted to a whole new way of doing business. Not to mention, you’ve simultaneously tackled the many additional curveballs life threw at you. With so many aspects of life and business out of your control, it’s no wonder that you’re starting to feel the passion dwindling. Focusing on the future and worrying about the next shoe that will drop is a sure-fire way of having your torch extinguished. Take a second to pull yourself out of the rat race. Shift your focus to the reason why you started your journey as an entrepreneur. You may find the fog lifting on the road ahead.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Why did I start this journey?
- What did I want to accomplish with my business?
- Do I still have the same goals or have they changed? If so, what are my new goals?
- If I had the opportunity to do anything else, would I take it or would I miss being my own boss?
2. Divide and Conquer
Don’t let the perfectionist in you make your journey harder than it needs to be. You have employees, resources, and tools in your arsenal. This allows you to delegate the many responsibilities that you have on your plate, so use them!
It’s true what they say, you can be your own worst enemy. This is especially true when you run your own business. If no one has told you this before, let us be the first: It doesn’t all need to be proofed, planned or approved by you alone. If there are tasks on your plate that you find demotivating or that you find too difficult to do by yourself, save yourself the headache! Find the right person to take it off your plate. Not only will you free up your time to focus more on the growth of your business, but you’ll allow yourself to do more of what fills yours well.
3. Build Your Network (On Xena)
Surrounding yourself with like-minded professionals & Female Founders is a great way of gaining new insight into your industry. It enables you to grow your arsenal of effective business best practices and expand your future business opportunities. Not only will it be an exciting process, but you will create networking circles who can refer your business to potential clients or customers.
Invest in a mentor, reach out to someone who you admire or attend a networking event with people in your industry. You’ll be surprised by the reviving effect that comes along with being surrounded by a diverse pool of creative, driven, and accomplished professionals.
Join Xena today to start building your network and reignite the flame for your business.
4. Consult Your Team
The connections that you have in your team are second to none. If you have a team or a partner on your side, you have an obligation to create an environment that is innovative and transparent,
and supportive. A team’s ability to support you and your company’s goals is directly related to the information that they have at their disposal. If you often feel as though you’re in it alone, it might be time to open up a dialogue. Voice the company’s specific challenges with your employees. It can be the difference between a stagnant growth trajectory and a booming one, so don’t keep your cards too close to your chest.
Organise a team wellness day, a wine and craft event, or a group brainstorm with everyone’s favourite snacks. A little goes a long way and a shift in energy in your business might be all that’s needed to revitalise you for the year ahead.
5. Give Back!
Let’s take it back to step number one when we asked you to take stock of your company’s goals, values, and purpose. If giving back to your community isn’t a part of your future plans, you might want to relook your business strategy.
Giving back in one form or another will help you fall back in love with your business. How? By opening your eyes to the incredible impact that you and your business can have on your greater community. More and more customers are looking at companies in relation to the steps that they are taking for social change. You’ll have the ability to increase your customer loyalty while you’re working toward making changes that inspire you and bring you joy.
Volunteer to help a worthwhile cause. Become a sponsor for a non-profit organisation. Or, offer your services within your community. There are many ways to give back that will lift your spirits and show your customers the values that you have through the actions that you take. Is there anything more rewarding?
Feeling the love yet?
If you’ve fallen out of love with your business, then this is for you. Questioned your motives for pushing forward in your entrepreneurship journey. Or, simply feel the need to make a change for the better within your business. We encourage you to give some of our recommendations a try. If you do, you’re sure to find the butterflies in your stomach start finding their wings again and the promise of the future shining brighter than ever.
