It happens to us all. You’re cruising along happily in your business and then you hit a wall.
Your productivity and motivation disappear completely.
Your income slows down - or even worse - comes to a complete standstill.
Things just don’t feel like they’re working anymore. It’s a horrible feeling as a business owner – you’re not sure whether it’s time to throw the towel in or it’s just a bit of a business funk.
I’ll tell you now, that more often than not, you’re just in a bit of a business funk and it will pass. Your funk might just last for a couple of hours but it might last weeks or even months.
So, you know you need to break your business out of a funk but how? Don’t worry, this post is going to outline all of the ways you can tackle that business funk and your biz moving forwards again.
1. REVIEW YOUR GOALS AND YOUR WHY
A great place to start when you’re trying to break your business out of a funk is to go back to the roots. Think about why you started your biz in the first place.
Taking a step away from the day-to-day tasks and the immediate hurdles that you might be facing in your business at the moment and looking at the bigger picture can be really helpful.
If you don’t have a “why” or any big-picture goals, then now is the time to get them in place. Chances are that you do actually have them, but you’ve never sat down and thought about them as your official business goals!
By going back to the “why”, you’re refocusing your mind on the end goal which should give you a new lease of business life and a renewed sense of determination
2. TAKE SOME TIME OFF
I don’t know about you, but some of my best ideas come to me when I’m not working. Whether it’s in the shower or when you’re stuck in traffic on the way home from Ikea, inspiration strikes us when we’re least expecting it.
Not only is taking time off from your business good for new ideas but actually taking a step away from your business and switching off from it completely is great for your mental health. We spend far too long staring at screens or pouring over our latest creations.
We rarely take time off.
I know for a fact that I never, ever switch off from work. Even if I’ve turned my laptop off for the day and we’ve put a film on, I’m still checking emails on my phone or scrolling through social media and “networking” with other business owners. I just don’t stop!
And I know it’s really bad for me – it’s often the cause of my business slumps.
If you work too hard, you will get burnt out. So taking some time off from work completely will help you get some well-deserved rest. Try and leave the stresses of work behind; even if it’s only for a couple of hours. You can always build up to eventually taking a full day or even a week off!
3. CHAT WITH OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS
I will bet all of the gingerbread lattes in the world that you are not the only business owner who’s trying to break your business out of funk right now.
Every single day there will be thousands of entrepreneurs and business mums just sitting there at a complete standstill in their business wondering what the hell to do!
So why not reach out to them and chat about what’s holding you back at the moment. It doesn’t matter if they’re in a slump at the moment or not, chatting with other business owners is always inspiring and might be just what you need to get back on the horse and get your business out of a funk!
Facebook groups are a great place to meet other business owners. There are groups for business mums, businesses in your local area or businesses in the same niche as you – whatever your criteria, there will be a group for it.
4. LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Depending on what kind of funk you’re in, you might want to learn something new that’s biz related – or maybe not!
I often find that when I need to get my biz out of a funk, I focus on one area of it that I know I need to improve and set about teaching myself how to do that. For example, I know that my email funnels could be much, much better which, in turn, would help boost my revenue. So, if I’m feeling stuck in my biz, I look for blog posts or courses etc. to help me build better funnels.
Alternatively, why not take a complete break from your business and learn something new that you’ve always fancied but never tried. It might sound weird but when you need to break your business out of a funk, focusing your mind on something completely different and entirely captivating can help massively.
If you’re creative like me, it’s no use trying to switch off from work by watching a film or going to dinner. Your brain will still be running a million miles an hour, thinking about your biz. BUT, if you’re learning something new, that big ‘ol brain is so focused on absorbing that new information that you forget about those business frustrations. When you do eventually go back to working in or on your business, your mind will have had a well-earned break and your focus and clarity should be much better!
5. HIRE SOME HELP!
Sometimes we find ourselves in a business funk because we’re tired.
We’re tired of trying to do everything ourselves and even if we take a much-needed break, we return to business right where we left off.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and burnt out, it might be time to hire an extra pair of hands for your business. Check out these 5 Signs You're Ready to Hire a VA
By outsourcing some of your workload, not only will you have more time to work on the things that you love (which is an instant mood booster), but you’ll also have more mental space to rest and to look after yourself.
If you’re interested in learning how we can work together, check out my full services list here.
