Free the day

There are many, many challenges in running a business. Time, money, keeping clients happy, you name it. You’re creating something out of nothing. But every business owner faces the same challenge when running a business: a tremendous feeling of loneliness. It’s very lonely to stick your neck out there, to take on the world, even if you have a co-founder. You’re in the trenches.

Some days in fact you may question why you ever made the leap of faith. Having your own business is a lot like riding a roller coaster, lots of highs and lows, and sometimes you may get queasy. Running your own business is overwhelming; there is a constant demand on your time and energy (both mental and physical).

It doesn’t have to be lonely or overwhelming at the top. There are ways to burst through the stresses of being a business owner, and be the healthy and respected leader of your business.

1. Build a trusted team. Most people by nature get some satisfaction from interacting with people, working toward the same goal. Even if your business is a one-man show, you can find an intelligent outside mentor or trusted business partner to bounce ideas off.
2. Remember why you went into business. Make sure you don’t get trapped doing the wrong type of work and consider the benefits of using a trusted business partner to do the jobs you shouldn’t be doing.
3. Balance home and family. The best leaders are able to maintain a balance in their lives. They have learned to say no. They accept that their families and their subordinates sometimes need to say no. They turn their work into play and then play hard.
4. Don’t work where you live. Just being able to live and work in separate environments can really help. The change of scenery and external stimulation, whether a coffee shop or just the sunlight, will allow you to switch gears and keep a healthy attitude.
5. Meet customers on-line. Use Social Media to make connections with clients, customers, and peers on-line. It helps to socialize with several hundred people all at once, even if you never see them face-to-face, and you can “instant message” one-on-one.
6. Don’t lose sight of your business goals. You should have developed a business plan when you began your business, but many business owners fail to check it regularly to keep on top of it… and this can cause problems. The business plan you developed originally is really important to keep you on track. It not only explained your short-term goals but also the long-term ones. Developing your business plan and amending when necessary should ensure that you are always moving forwards, and this should help your business to reach it’s potential.
7. Don’t lose sight of your personal goals. Do whatever you need to reach your goal. Just sitting and thinking about what you want to achieve is not going to get you there. You have to work at it to make it happen. Make sure that any decision you make takes you closer to achieving your goals. Stay positive and work hard and your goals will become reality.
8. Nurture your charismatic side. Charismatic leaders don’t feel the loneliness, and use a wide range of methods to manage their image. If you are not naturally charismatic, practice diligently to develop these skills of body language and verbal language.
9. Maintain non-business activities. Hearing about your friends going skiing, or just spending some time resting and relaxing on holiday can be very detrimental to your self esteem. Work to keep up on your own hobbies, and participate in community action events.
10. Demand Freedom. Making time for the important things in your life is crucial, but time is one thing most business owners don’t have. Make sure you free your business from the mundane jobs that don’t make you money, use up all of your time and effort and take your focus away from the real reasons you went into business.

Contact us today to find out how CloudForce can support you as a business owner.