We often hear about athletes “hitting the wall,” especially rookies in professional sports who haven’t yet experienced a full season in the big leagues. They struggle almost suddenly, and it may be a difficult task to get past that point, both physically and mentally.
New small business owners may find themselves in a similar scenario. Things seem to be going well … until they aren’t. Confusion may set in, and the question of “was this business the right move to make?” may creep into play.
The good news is that there are steps to take to get past that wall. Here are a few tips to start the climb.
Diagnosis: First things first, the problem must be identified. Nellie Akalp examines this in a recent story for smallbiztrends.com and offers this list of questions to ask yourself:
- “Is my attitude toward the business what’s wrong?”
- “Is it the clientele I’m attracting (or not attracting)?”
- “Do my products feel outdated?”
- “Do I feel frustrated because I don’t know what decision to make?”
- “Do I feel overwhelmed with the amount of work I have to do?”
- “Do I feel lacking in skills in a particular area?”
“The more you dig, the more you’ll discover,” Akalp writes. “You might find that there are a few areas that are causing problems, and knowing what they are will help you figure out the appropriate solution.”
Take one step at a time: The wall could be a mental or emotional obstacle that some positive reinforcement can help to overcome. Nicole Fende likens it to an endurance race, specifically her own experience in high school, in a story for business2community.com. She faced running up an extremely high ski hill with her cross country team, but with some motivation from her coach, she conquered it.
“Instead of trying to find the energy to tackle an entire mountain, I focused on tackling just one step,” she says. “With each step I became more invested in getting to the top. If you feel overwhelmed in your business, intimidated by your goals or just plain tired, focus solely on the next step. What one thing could you do today to keep your momentum? Ask only that of yourself today. Tomorrow, repeat the process. And the day after. With just one more step you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.”
Examine your options: Once you know what the issues are, and you’re motivated to tackle them, think of what the solutions might be. As Akalp advises in the smallbiztrends.com story, ponder the clients, products and stress levels the business brings:
“If you don’t enjoy working with the types of clients you’ve been attracting, outline who your ideal client would be. Maybe you need to zero in on a more niche market, or raise your prices so you only attract people who value the services you provide. If you think your products aren’t remaining competitive in the marketplace, spend some time seeing what’s out there, and look for gaps. What need can you fill with a pivot of your product strategy that isn’t getting filled elsewhere? If you’re simply overworked and stressed out, that’s an easy fix. Hire a freelancer, part-time employee, or full-time staff to alleviate some of your workload.”
Get disciplined and go: The hectic pace of most businesses can mean an abundance of distractions, which may make the wall seem that much bigger. Author and entrepreneur Kevin Daum writes about learning to focus on business obstacles —even simultaneously with his personal goals (learning a new language and losing weight) — in a story for inc.com.
“It’s easy to get distracted with the present,” he writes. “Business people are just that — busy! There is always a fire to put out or a new critical opportunity to distract you. True discipline is about making yourself emotionally commit time and effort to your benefit regardless of external factors. … I cleared out every distraction and vowed to add nothing new to my plate until I made progress. Make the obstacle the No. 1 priority and focus on it every day until it’s gone.”
