“I ain’t had nothin’ but bad news
Now I got the crazy blues”
Sound familiar? The lyrics are actually from an old blues song called Crazy Blues by Mamie Smith but at any time they can also describe hundreds of small business owners who see nothing but difficulties ahead.
Feeling down over your business is a normal reaction for long term business owners. The daily routines begin to get boring and it isn’t unusual to lose your inspiration. The usual cause for this is not daring to try new things, fear of what the future may bring or just a lack of positivity.
Identifying the cause of your feelings is the first thing you should do. Is your business really doing that badly? Are there ways you could begin to change this today? If there are, take just one step. Then take another tomorrow. Small steps on a regular basis can bring things back in line more quickly and propel you further ahead than tackling a huge project that you might give up on or find is too much work.
Self doubt can be exhausting and a major cause of depression. The challenges of attempting to come up with new ideas on a regular basis are difficult without new input, either from talking to other business owners or possibly from taking up new hobbies. Even a change in routine and schedule can make a huge difference in the energy you have available for your business.
Entrepreneurs are known for their desire or insistence on perfection. We’ve been led to believe through numerous television shows and commercials that we can all have that perfect lifestyle if only we do this or that, own this or that, wear this or that, and so on. This illusion is one that several companies and manufacturers of various products are trying to break and the sooner small business owners join them, the better. Perfection is rather boring and leaves nothing interesting to the imagination. It also doesn’t appeal to a lot of your customers who are looking for the unique and different. Keeping that in mind, you may be motivated to try new things that are in line with your products and think up services that are difficult to find.
Learning to appreciate our own qualities can help us achieve greater success as business owners. Rather than trying to be like everyone else, decide what it is that you bring to the table. What do you have that no one else has? What can you provide better than anyone else? This can help you through any difficulties that arise with your business. Focusing on the needs of others is a great way to keep your mind from concentrating only on the worst fears.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015
image courtesy of allmusic
