As founder of LucidBooks, one of my favorite aspects of working with my clients is how easily I can relate to them as a fellow small business owner. No matter what industry you’re in, being the owner of a small business brings unique psychological challenges–mainly, staying focused and optimistic when things appear to be flying at you from all directions. I get this, and think we all can benefit from content that centers us and gives us important tools to get through the hard times. For this week’s blog post, I decided to share some inspirational strategies that have helped keep me focused and motivated when I go through the peaks and valleys of my small business adventure.
- Using the Five-Second Rule – This idea was fleshed out in a recent Xero blog post I really enjoyed. The premise is that when you get a thought pushing you towards a goal, you have to act on it within five seconds. What does it really come down to? In my opinion, it’s all about pushing away doubt and procrastination: two poisons for small business owners. I try to remind myself to employ the five second rule whenever I get an idea to do something that will make me better – whether it’s starting a new marketing strategy, or just getting up to go to the gym.
- Find a community – And it can be online (of course.) In the age and industry most of us are working in, online communities are everywhere and are so useful for sharing ideas, staying inspired, and simply feeling less alone as you make your way as a small business. My Xero community and other community resources help me to stay motivated and inspired. There’s a good chance that not everyone in your “real” life is an innovative small business owner like you are. Make sure you have an online community that gives you that camaraderie.
- Stay focused on your customers – As an accountant, a piece of advice I find myself giving over and over is “keep it about the customer.” as a founder or owner, you live behind the scenes of the business, seeing all the little things that make it tick. It’s so easy to get lost in the details of keeping things running that you can forget about the most important ingredient for success: keeping your customers happy. Every single day, you should put time aside to check in with your customers in one way or another and make sure you’re staying in touch with what your business is really about.
- Stay positive at all costs- One of the most important lessons I’ve learned since starting LucidBooks is that your mind and attitude is the best tool you have. It takes effort and care to make sure you are keeping your brain a healthy place to be: with stressful situations coming at you daily and a lot of people to manage, it can be really easy to fall into negative patterns. This Quickbooks blog post touches on this issue as well and provides insight on how to keep a positive attitude in order to stay motivated.
How do you stay calm, cool and collected as a small business owner? We want to hear from you. Comment below and join the conversation.
