Solo business owners constantly suffer from a disease called “Overwhelm-it is.” Symptoms include, inability to focus, stress from being pulled in too many directions, not enough time and constant energy drain. Sound familiar?
This week I had three different Portland solo business owners tell me they felt they were spinning their wheels. It was funny that they all used that exact same phrase. It reminded me of driving in the snow, getting stuck and trying desperately to get unstuck by stepping on the gas. The more I accelerated the more stuck I became and the more frustrated I felt. In fact the hole I was trying to get out of, just got deeper the harder I worked!
Solo business owners work hard and also feel the hole just gets bigger. There is often a feeling of being stuck, wanting to get their business moving forward, working very hard, trying to balance everything and then, when having no one to help, it can feel overwhelming.
Here are 5 things to help any small solo business owner get in gear and move out of the hole easily, or better yet, avoid it completely.
1. Develop a plan. This sounds obvious, however most solo business owners operate from the seat of their pants and spontaneously. Although this is natural for creative people, it is also important to be grounded and a business plan provides that grounding.
2. Operate from priorities. Once you have your plan, from there you need to keep a priority focused energy. Without making priorities, you will be like a leaf in the wind and be pulled any which way. When you prioritize, you can stay on task and therefore will be calmer and more focused energetically.
3. Put systems in place. Develop a system and a process that works for you and your style. I use a large whiteboard and whenever I get an impulse, instead of getting sidetracked, I write it on the board. In this way, I am taking action, but still staying on task with the job I am working on now.
4. From your plan, develop realistic time-lines for business development projects and goals. Without that time-line you will just keep pushing and everything will feel as though it needs to be done now!
5. Get Support. All successful small business owners get help. Your “inner” obstacles are the only ones that will continue to hold you back. They are often unproductive habits that you just keep doing out of default. A coach or mentor can provide an outside perspective and offer accountability.
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