Don’t Let the Big Overwhelm Swallow You Up
When you are starting a business, during that difficult first year, the Big Overwhelm lurks nearby. What are the signs of the Overwhelm: complete exhaustion, fear of failure, disorganization, cash flow problems, or lack of support. Here are our 5 tips for survival.
1. Focus on the Journey, Not the End Result
Take action, set mini SMART goals for yourself and focus on the journey to accomplish each mini goal for your business rather than the end goal.
A mini goal might be 3 relationship calls a week for one month. Concentrate on making one call every other day. Make the call about their business rather than yours and invite the person to meet for a coffee and a chat. Record the results at the end of a month.
If you have a retail bricks and mortar business, a mini goal might be to upsell customers on complementary products by giving them a sample. Make a note of the number of upsells you achieve, you might be surprised. If you don’t try, you won’t have ANY!
2. Organize Your Tasks and Your Life
De-clutter your life, by cleaning out your closets of unwanted clothes, organize dinners and grocery shopping ahead of time. Schedule how to best get kids to their events or get the dog out for its walk.
An hour of focused organized activity can accomplish a great deal. Organize the time you spend on social media. Limit it to a maximum of half an hour a day. Schedule posts to Twitter in advance. Keep a list of blog topics and a structure to make them easy to write. Time yourself. No more than 10 minutes to write a blog. Pour the words out and then fix the flow. Don’t wait until the posts are perfect, just post them up.
3. Get Over Your Fear
Easier said than done? You have to push through your fear and just get it done. We all have fears and we can’t let the fear paralyze us or stop us from taking that first step. Once you take step one, the next step is easier. Talk about your fears with someone you trust and you will feel a lot better. A good listener who understands your fears can help you navigate towards a solution.
One of the best solutions is to find a business mentor. We have some amazing women who have been in that same position as you and have pushed through the fear to success. If you are looking for a free mentor, click here.
4. Cash Flow Problems?
Know where you are leaking cash. Make sure you look at your books EVERY month. The story of your business is in your Profit and Loss Statement. Take a good look at it and understand it. If in doubt ask your accountant or get help from an accounting mentor (yes we have one of these!)
If it’s personal cash flow problems, pare your budget down to the absolute essentials. Don’t spend on “wants” only on “must have’s” such as car payments, gas, rent/mortgage, food. If necessary, try to work a part-time job for part of the week to survive.
5. How to Get Over the “Exhausted” feeling
Find inexpensive ways to relax, a walk with the dog, rake the leaves, go for a swim, meet up with friends for a coffee, take a yoga class, or walk to the park. Don’t focus on your business 24 hours a day, if you do, you will be unproductive and make mistakes.
It can be lonely, especially if you are a solopreneur and we need to re-kindle our spirit and love for what we do. We started with a passion, but it needs refueling when the going gets tough.
One of the ways to help get over the brain drain is to find supportive groups where you can reach out to others who have walked the same path as you. They will be a great support and perhaps give you tips on how to prevent exhaustion.
Remember, every successful entrepreneur has had that feeling of OVERWHELM at some point, you are not alone. With some smart strategies you can conquer the OVEWHELM. We offer support in our Fabulous Fempreneurship Facebook Community. If you have a great story to tell about overcoming obstacles in your business or life, we would love to hear from you.