How to stay motivated when running your business
How to stay motivated when running your business
Sounds obvious doesn’t it…but, it’s something that’s so often overlooked. Since running Exceptional Thinking, I’ve met countless business owners who are not quite sure where their business is heading. Sure, most of them would like more clients or more money, but I’m talking about longer-term goals - where do they see the business in a year’s time; five year’s time?
Many of these business owners feel de-motivated by their business and some of them are even thinking about giving it up and closing the business down. Others don’t want to give the business up, but just find that they are just going through the motions each day with no real purpose for the business. Setting a big long-term goal can often help you re-focus and get you excited about running the business again.
Now, like you, I’ve been to the workshops and the networking events where I’ve been told to write down where I want to take the business, but often I’ve come away from there, with good intentions, meaning to do it, but never quite getting around to it, or sometimes I’ve half heartedly written something down at the event, but never really quite meant it.
But, there’s lots of good evidence to say that if you set goals, focus on what you want to achieve and write them down, chances are you’ll achieve them. That’s why start-ups are 90% likely to survive the first 18 months of business if they’ve written a business plan.
About six months after starting Exceptional Thinking, having written a business plan, I found that I’d achieved everything I set out to do in a much shorter space of time than I’d thought possible, and I was left floundering for a while because I didn’t have a goal for the business.
So, I decided to re-focus where I wanted to be and remember looking back on my business plan to check what I’d written in there. I was astounded to find that the numbers in my cashflow (which I’d more or less made up and wildly exaggerated) were bang on to the money in my bank account – the power of focus!
Now, am I suggesting that you go out tomorrow and write a business plan? Not at all – business plans absolutely have a purpose, but are mostly only needed if you’re looking to get finance or feel that your business needs to completely re-focus on what’s going on both on the inside and on the outside.
What I am suggesting though is that you spend some time (perhaps while you’re waiting for a meeting; sat on a train or out walking the dog) really thinking about where you want your business to be in the future – where do you see it in ten year’s time?
You see, once you have a goal in place that you really believe in and you are determined to achieve, the chances are so much greater that you will.
You’ll end up being more focused in your business, love coming into work and want to really drive it forward.
Three tips to help you write your goals:
1. It’s easy to come up with a goal that you are likely to achieve in your business anyway (for instance, if you were just about to finish your website, you could write a goal saying “finish my website”) – try to stretch your business further than that into something you would like to do, but had maybe written off as being impossible to achieve. Remember your goal is for 10 years time, not for the immediate future.
2. Try not to put blocks in the way of writing your goals – it’s sometimes easy to say “I can’t do that because…” Instead, imagine you’ve got a magic wand and you’ve got the money, staff, resources and whatever else you need to achieve your dream.
3. Work backwards – write your 10 year goal for your business, then write where you need to be in 5 years to achieve this goal, and then where you need to be in 3 years, 1 year and 6 months from now in order to help you achieve it.
Exceptional Thinking can be contacted on 0845 644 9371 or email on info@exceptionalthinking.co.uk
How to stay motivated when running your business - To learn more about this author, visit Helen Dowling's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
A very wise old person once said “If you don’t know where you are heading, how do you know when you’ve got there?”
Sounds obvious doesn’t it…but, it’s something that’s so often overlooked. Since running Exceptional Thinking, I’ve met countless business owners who are not quite sure where their business is heading. Sure, most of them would like more clients or more money, but I’m talking about longer-term goals - where do they see the business in a year’s time; five year’s time?
Many of these business owners feel de-motivated by their business and some of them are even thinking about giving it up and closing the business down. Others don’t want to give the business up, but just find that they are just going through the motions each day with no real purpose for the business. Setting a big long-term goal can often help you re-focus and get you excited about running the business again.
Now, like you, I’ve been to the workshops and the networking events where I’ve been told to write down where I want to take the business, but often I’ve come away from there, with good intentions, meaning to do it, but never quite getting around to it, or sometimes I’ve half heartedly written something down at the event, but never really quite meant it.
But, there’s lots of good evidence to say that if you set goals, focus on what you want to achieve and write them down, chances are you’ll achieve them. That’s why start-ups are 90% likely to survive the first 18 months of business if they’ve written a business plan.
About six months after starting Exceptional Thinking, having written a business plan, I found that I’d achieved everything I set out to do in a much shorter space of time than I’d thought possible, and I was left floundering for a while because I didn’t have a goal for the business.
So, I decided to re-focus where I wanted to be and remember looking back on my business plan to check what I’d written in there. I was astounded to find that the numbers in my cashflow (which I’d more or less made up and wildly exaggerated) were bang on to the money in my bank account – the power of focus!
Now, am I suggesting that you go out tomorrow and write a business plan? Not at all – business plans absolutely have a purpose, but are mostly only needed if you’re looking to get finance or feel that your business needs to completely re-focus on what’s going on both on the inside and on the outside.
What I am suggesting though is that you spend some time (perhaps while you’re waiting for a meeting; sat on a train or out walking the dog) really thinking about where you want your business to be in the future – where do you see it in ten year’s time?
You see, once you have a goal in place that you really believe in and you are determined to achieve, the chances are so much greater that you will.
You’ll end up being more focused in your business, love coming into work and want to really drive it forward.
Three tips to help you write your goals:
1. It’s easy to come up with a goal that you are likely to achieve in your business anyway (for instance, if you were just about to finish your website, you could write a goal saying “finish my website”) – try to stretch your business further than that into something you would like to do, but had maybe written off as being impossible to achieve. Remember your goal is for 10 years time, not for the immediate future.
2. Try not to put blocks in the way of writing your goals – it’s sometimes easy to say “I can’t do that because…” Instead, imagine you’ve got a magic wand and you’ve got the money, staff, resources and whatever else you need to achieve your dream.
3. Work backwards – write your 10 year goal for your business, then write where you need to be in 5 years to achieve this goal, and then where you need to be in 3 years, 1 year and 6 months from now in order to help you achieve it.
Exceptional Thinking can be contacted on 0845 644 9371 or email on info@exceptionalthinking.co.uk
How to stay motivated when running your business - To learn more about this author, visit Helen Dowling's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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