Let’s face it. Businessing is hard.
Much, much harder than we ever imagined when we started out on this journey. I wouldn’t change starting my own business for the world, and it’s really hard to admit when things aren’t working for you.
This is the hidden part of entrepreneurship that just doesn’t get talked about enough.
Every single one of us has times when your business is a million times harder than any 9-to-5 could ever be, and it feels ungrateful to say it out loud. You’re living the “dream” so you feel like you should be happy 24/7. Or you don’t want to give even a glimmer of truth to what you hear from the naysayers who think you’re reckless/irresponsible/a complete nutjob.
In talking to my business partner Maggie, clients and even business friends, there are a few key reasons that make us start to hate the thing we love so very much.
Here are some of the common ones and ideas for stopping them in their tracks:
#1. You’re a Yes Woman
From new clients to last minute requests, you say yes to everything. You want to keep your would-be and current clients happy so you take on things that you have no business doing or don’t have time to do.
The next thing you know, you’re frustrated or resentful. Which is always a recipe for disaster.
It’s easy to lay the blame for this on your clients or external circumstances, but you’re the one saying yes. They’re not being unreasonable necessarily – as the saying goes “you don’t ask, you don’t get” – so they’re just asking.
At a certain point in your business, you need to exercise your right to say no. No, you won’t fix their website page layout when you’re the copywriter. No, you can’t do that project by tomorrow. No, you can’t give them a deal. Remember, just because you CAN doesn’t mean you should.
You are the only one responsible for saying yes, so look for opportunities to practice boundaries with kindness and thoughtfulness.
#2. You Don’t Charge Enough
When you’re first starting out, you need to build up your reputation and customer roster over time, otherwise you can price yourself out of the market. (This is why pricing what you’re worth is completely terrible advice – because it sets up unrealistic expectations when you’re in the early stages of your business.)
Once you’ve got testimonials and happy clients in place, you need to charge a rate that balances the value you’re providing to your client with what is fair for the energy involved.
If you consistently low-ball your pricing, you’re on a one way ticket to Resentmentville. (Pop. 10,732 pissed off entrepreneurs)
Take the time to really think about your pricing critically instead of just throwing out prices off the top of your head. If you’re not sure, it’s completely okay to say you need time to think about it. Or better yet, create project pricing so you know the baseline for what specific items cost.
#3. You Don’t Unplug
Be honest, on your last ‘vacation’ did you bring your laptop and pull off close to full workdays in the wee hours? Um, guilty as charged. On my honeymoon…
It happens. But if that’s the only break you’re getting, and if every single weekend has you logging work time, you’re going to start to burn out.
When you’re worn out it’s easy to forget why you’re doing what you’re doing. And when you’re always on, always connected, you lose your grip on what’s real, and how so much of the business world doesn’t matter whatsoever.
Digital detox time is critical. Make it happen no matter how busy you are. Go out with friends. Have a Netflix binge day. Just disconnect the digital umbilical cord for a few hours, or better yet a few days.
#4. You Don’t Like the Work You Do
Running a business is hard enough, and life is too damn short to do work you dislike.
Just because you start your business doing one thing, doesn’t mean you need to do it forever. In a “normal” job, you’d evolve over time and your business shouldn’t be any different.
A word of caution. Notice I said evolution. This doesn’t mean you have a hall pass to change your business or area of expertise with each new month. You need to give things time to actually happen and for you to refine over time.
Then you can see if there are things you need to drop or change. Nothing is forever and today’s hot package is one you may retire two years from now.
#5. You’re Unfocused
You’ve got a deadline. But then you lose an hour to Facebook and next thing you know it’s 3 p.m. and you’ve not crossed anything off your to-do list.
All that jumping around is not only unproductive, it’s downright exhausting. Every time you switch between tasks you’re wasting precious time. Over the course of a day, that could be up to 30% of your work day.
It’s hard to be disciplined but it beats the alternative of the 3 p.m. panic attack as you white-knuckle finishing up a client project.
Start out by blocking out time in your day for checking email and social media, and then commit the rest of the day to specific business-focused activities. I’m always pleasantly surprised at how much better I feel about my business when I can keep things on track by making the most of my day.
#6. You Set Yourself Up for Failure
As entrepreneurs, we’re really good at setting unrealistic expectations for ourselves. Yes, dream big, but you also need to have a firm tether to reality.
There are so, so, so many ways we do this to ourselves daily. It may be committing to deadlines that aren’t doable, getting in over your head on projects, not establishing clear expectations and the list goes on and on.
It doesn’t really matter how you manage to self-sabotage, but more so that you figure out how you set yourself up for failure and take steps to stop it.
Notice where you find yourself anxious, panicky or ready to freak out. Those are likely areas where you’re sabotaging your success.
#7. You’re Doing WAY Too Many Things
Quick question. Do you ever get things crossed off your to-do list and feel caught up? (Or you think ‘caught up’ is a mythical unicorn?!)
If you NEVER feel like you’re caught up, that’s a surefire sign that you’re doing too much. Listen, there’s no prize for doing it all quickly or trying to do it all. No one is watching you that closely.
If your to-do list never becomes a done list, it’s hard to catch your breath. And unkind thoughts about your business can easily creep in.
Start by cutting the non-essentials. If it’s not directly related to your biggest 90 day goal, cut it out. Pay attention to what’s not working and get rid of that too. By streamlining, you can get back to the happy zone and start loving your business again.
#8. You Work with Clients That Drain You
Not every client who’s willing to give you money is a good fit. In the first year or so of your business, you’re likely going to say yes even when your gut says no. Money is hard to say no to.
Next thing you know, you have inbox dread every morning. You hold your breath and hope that there’s not a bunch of emails waiting for you. Eventually, you live to regret that money, and quite frankly it’s the hardest cash you’ve ever made.
To have more clients that you love, clearly define what types of clients are a good fit for you based on energy, personality and working style. Know the signs of a non-ideal client and be ready to say no when it’s not a great fit. A no is always better than a reluctant yes and regrets months later.
#9. You Suck at Customer Experience
It’s hard to admit it, but when you don’t have clear systems and processes for everything involved for your clients, it’s easy for things to get way, way out of control.
Think about your onboarding process. Once someone signs on to work with you, they’re excited and this first impression counts. So if you don’t have a plan for what comes next and they’re left confused or uncertain, you create extra pain for yourself.
Painful moments where you’re needing to explain, justify or clarify add up to feeling like your business is a royal pain. But this one is on you, and it’s up to you to get your systems in check and hand-hold your clients from start to experience. You’re the expert and you need to step up and take the lead.
#10. You’re Not Respected
Do you feel like a doormat and find yourself frequently getting steamrollered? That’s a warning sign that whoever you’re dealing with doesn’t respect you.
Like it or not, respect is earned, and you need to stand up for yourself. This may be that you’re not doing an 8 p.m. phone call or that certain types of projects are complete deal breakers.
You may be surprised at how easy it is to shift the tone or nature of your interactions with someone by being clear and firm. You don’t need to be anything more than that, because 90% of the time, people just aren’t thinking about it from your perspective.
In the cases where they keep pushing you over and over no matter what you do, it’s time to cut and run. You deserve respect and you need to command it because it’s really hard to love your business when you’re being stomped on.
The Recap: Nail Down What’s Sabotaging Your Business Buzz
Make a list of the top two or three from this list that you need to work on and commit to doing the work to make them happen. You started a business for a reason, so it’s up to you to do what it takes to make sure you adore it for years to come.
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