Below,
you'll find articles related to Success Tales, featuring
advice & tips for business owners. New articles will be added
regularly!
You're
welcome to use these articles for free in your
newsletter, blog, etc.--provided that all article content, including
the author bio, remains intact and unchanged, and includes a link
back to www.SuccessTales.com.
(If you do use an article, please send a courtesy email to
info (at) successtales (dot) com. Thanks!)
Article
1:
Startup
Inspiration: Things you can do to boost your small business motivation!
There
are so many resources to help small business owners start their
businesses properly from the business standpoint. But what about
one’s mental health? It’s important to keep that aspect
intact, because starting a new business is no easy feat mentally
or spiritually! It’s a challenge, and sometimes it can be
daunting. Here are some things that can keep you inspired, motivated
and on track:
Remember
your passion!
When we get caught up in the daily to-dos—the phone calls,
the administrative tasks, the unglamorous grunt work—it’s
easy to lose sight of why we started our business in the first
place. But stop for a second, slow down and remember what it was
that made you step out and hang your shingle up. Was it your love
of writing? Helping people? Cooking? Working with pets and animals?
Your love of children? Of painting and creating art? Your passion
is unique and your own, so it can be anything. But whatever it
is, make reconnecting with it a priority. That will keep you focused
on your business goals.
It
doesn’t come overnight
A wise person once told me that the successful ones aren’t
necessarily the most talented—but the ones with the most
perseverance. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just say out
loud, “I’m starting a business doing (fill in the
blank)”—and just from that utterance, it would be
instantly, magically bursting at the seams with clients that have
money to burn? But in reality, a bustling business doesn’t
come overnight. It takes strategy, planning, marketing and getting
the word out to your target audience. So, don’t get discouraged
if it doesn’t happen right away—a successful business
(and its audience/clients) comes with persistence.
Stay
fit...stay focused
You’re probably wondering, “What does staying fit
have to do with growing my business?” A lot, actually. Working
out doesn’t just give you a toned body and stronger heart—studies
have shown that even a mere eight minutes of exercise can help
alleviate sadness, tension and anger. Physical activity causes
the brain to release chemicals called endorphins throughout the
body, which are natural mood-boosters. Comes in handy when we’re
stressed out over winning clients and building our businesses.
So, even if you have just a couple of minutes during your busy
schedule, use them to get a mini-workout in—whether it’s
a set of pushups, some jumping jacks or a walk around the block.
It’ll go a long way towards boosting your mental & physical
stamina in order to handle your business!
Fine-tune
your balancing act
Notice I said “fine-tune,” not “perfect!”
You don’t live in a bubble, so you probably have multiple
aspects of your life that you’re juggling along with your
business: Home, kids, spouse, hobbies & interests—and
perhaps a full-time job. There’s no one magical way to balance
everything—it all depends on your schedule and what works
for you. However, an option is to designate certain days for certain
areas. Monday can be for marketing your business. On Tuesday,
work on client projects, etc. Many work-from-home entrepreneurs
do all their stuff during the day so that they’ll have the
afternoons & evenings free for family time, household stuff,
etc. But the main thing to remember? Nobody’s perfect! Strive
to maintain flexibility in your schedule for the unexpected; use
your schedule as a general guideline, but don’t beat yourself
up if you need to stray from it every now & then.
Make
time for “me time”!
Sure, you can hustle away for your business 24-7—but ‘round-the-clock
work is a surefire way to get burnt out. Trust me, I know how
it is to be on my laptop so long that my eyes start to burn &
my head feels like it’s in a vice grip! When that happens,
I know it’s time to turn off the computer and get re-centered.
So, whatever it is you like to do to unwind—do that. Read
a book for pleasure, try out that new recipe, write in your journal,
play with your kids and/or pets, snuggle with your spouse, take
a walk in the park, go dancing—whatever. You get the picture!
Refresh yourself, and when you come back to your business to-do
list you’ll be ready to go.
Starting
and running a small business is no easy feat! But keeping these
tips in mind will go a long way in helping you stay sane and going
strong for the long haul. Good luck!
About
the author:
Vonetta Booker-Brown is the author of Success Tales: Female
Entrepreneurs’ Stories of Challenges, Inspiration and Success!
In it, nine business owners share how they built their successful
brands and advice on how new & existing entrepreneurs can
stay motivated and inspired. Visit www.SuccessTales.com
for more info.
