What can you do when business isn’t going as well as you’d like?
Being self employed as a freelancer going through the ups and downs of business is hard! Couple that with limited working hours because you have kids and it can feel hopeless when your business is progressing as you would like.
We’ve all had times when we feel like giving up, but what can you do to turn things around?
Here are 8 ideas I have used without needing to spend any extra money to help navigate tricky times in my business.
#1
Firstly I would say don’t panic. When you work alone it’s all to easy to get stuck in your own head, during these negative times problems can feel bigger than they are.
#2
Take a moment to remember your why. Is what you have been doing lately still aligned to your overall why? Have the goals you set changed? Maybe you have drifted off course or maybe what you want has changed. It’s important to focus your efforts on things that move you closer to your dreams.
#3
Talk it through with someone. The benefit of this is it brings another perspective to the situation. Choose who you talk to wisely, if you talk to lots of people you may find yourself overwhelmed with too many conflicting ideas. Remember your after some constructive conversations and clarity, not more problems to stress about. Select people whose opinions you value.
#4
Write it out, when you have a head full of jumbled thoughts all fighting for brain space there is something really powerful in writing it all down. Many psychology studies show that writing it down captures it and makes space in your brain for new thoughts. I found this article explained it well.
Get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper.
From my experience, I suggest you sit with no distractions and write, without trying to organize what you write. You can do this later if needs be.
#5
When you have finished your brain dump take a step away from work. Go and do something you enjoy. When we relax and stop trying to solve the problem is often the time when new ideas spring to mind because we have taken the pressure and urgency away.
#6
When you’re ready to step back into work mode, surround yourself with people who inspire and motivate you. Ideally in person to maximise the ability to soak in some of their energy. For me that’s the Freelance Mum community I belong to. I will attend a netwalk or a coffee morning. If you aren’t currently part of any business membership groups, and can’t afford to invest in one at the moment. There are free options out there such as Facebook groups for business people in your local area or similar industries.
#7
Hopefully, by now you’re feeling more positive, so use that boost to help you do some follow-up whether it’s with people who have shown an interest in working with you or another service you need to work with to improve your business. Get the wheel in forward motion again.
#8
And finally if doing all these things has made you realise you can’t improve things on your own, for whatever reason, that’s OK. Ask for help. As before choose who you ask wisely but for most problems, someone else has been through it before you and will be happy to share what they learned.
The tricky times are unavoidable but as the saying goes, where there’s a will there’s a way. It’s just about controlling the doubts and taking sensible action. If you have found this blog helpful and would to talk anything through with me, I love doing a problem solving session. You can always contact me here.