by Faith Monson
www.FaithMonson.com
Last week, I talked about the times when you may feel “becalmed” in your business, like a boat that has lost the wind in its sails. Usually, that feeling comes from having lost touch with the passion, the energy, the “mojo” that gave you the courage to start your business and guide it through its fledgling years.
At the risk of sounding like a Country Western song or a sappy ballad, it IS possible to get the feeling back again—and enjoy the next phase of your business growth. So here are three more tips for getting your “second wind”.
#1 Reframe to find new possibilities. I once talked with a woman who said that she wasn’t interested in working with people who initially contacted her via the Internet. When I asked why, she explained that she distrusted the Internet and believed that “worthwhile” clients would contact her via phone. What she didn’t realize was that for customers today, the Internet replaced the phone. She was missing out on the potential of great new prospects because of her feelings about the Internet. What would happen if she reframed those feelings? Instead of thinking, “I don’t trust contacts from the Internet,” suppose she began to think, “Younger customers use the Internet like a phone. I could broaden my clientele by accepting their ‘calls’ via my website.” What changed? Just an attitude. Try it and see—reframing is magic!
#2 Reinvent and redesign. When you first started your business, you were passionate about wanting to provide a solution, solve a problem, and launch a product. Once your business got up and running, those things that first fueled your passion became ho-hum. Your passion began to fizzle. Kick your passion up a notch by finding some way in which your company needs reinvention. Do you need to launch an online sales strategy? Is your company represented on social media? Do you—or your employees—need some training to brush up on skills? Can you improve, refine or reinvent the way you deliver your product, meet new prospects, or follow up with existing customers? When you dive into a project to create something new or make something better, your passion shifts into high gear and everything feels new again.
#3 Try on a new role. What activities did you like best when you first started your company? Was it sales? Networking and meeting new people? Product design? Customer consultation? Physically providing the product or service? How much of that are you doing now that your company is more mature? Many entrepreneurs discover that as their businesses grow, they have less and less time to do the pieces they love because they’re bogged down with daily operations. You’re the boss, so reassign yourself to a new role! Take an inventory of what you do best and what you don’t enjoy. Think of the skills needed to do the pieces you dislike, then look for places where those elements could present a growth opportunity for someone on your staff. Don’t view it as pushing off something onto someone else; your baggage could be their big break. Done right, you free yourself to do what you’re best at, while helping someone on your staff discover a new way to shine that suits their talents. You and your employee get a fresh burst of passion. It’s a win-win situation!
Passion is the energy that fuels your business. When your passion runs dry, it’s like having your car run out of gas. By rediscovering and rekindling your passion, you’ll get a whole new lease on life and a fresh new approach to business. Best of all, you’ll find a new level of enthusiasm about your business that will attract prospects, invigorate your employees and make you remember why you started this company in the first place.
