Staying motivated when you’re the owner

Running a business has never been an easy option. Anyone who thinks it is clearly has never done it. Even if you have the best strategy and business plan in the world, there are no guarantees of success and there will always be curveballs thrown at you that you have zero control over (Covid-19 being a classic case in point). Add people into the mix with their foibles and differences, and you suddenly realise that as a business owner you need to be an expert in human behaviour and psychology, as well as everything else.

However, when you are the business owner, the buck stops with you, and you have to stay motivated and committed to the long game in order to inspire and drive everyone else around you. So how do you stay motivated as a business owner? Here are our top tips…

1. Know and play to your strengths – when you are doing work that you are good at and able to make a difference, it makes your working week a whole lot easier. We find that when we are coaching business owners who have got themselves into a bit of a rut, it is usually because they are operating outside of their zone of genius and being dragged into things they are either not good at, or don’t enjoy. Obviously, we can’t always work on everything that lights us up, but you want to be aiming for a solid 80% of your time to avoid getting dragged down!
2. Set goals and targets – these can be motivating for you and everyone else around you. Consider creating a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for your business – something that is really aspirational to aim towards. This can really focus you and get everyone else around you focused on the future and the potential that is out there.
3. Recognise yourself – when you are in charge you won’t have people lining up to pat you on the back, so you must do it yourself! Take time to celebrate your own wins – keep a note of them each week/month in a notebook that you can look back upon and see how far you have come.
4. Keep learning and growing – it is natural to get bored when you do the same things over and over again. That’s why we are such big fans of lifelong learning. It doesn’t have to be related to your business; you can take up a new hobby.
5. Head back to the floor – remember that TV show when the boss went undercover in their business? Take a few days or even a week out and go and experience what it is like to be an employee in your business. Sit with different teams, lunch with your employees, get out with your field teams. It’s a great way to engage with people and also will give you loads of insight and fresh ideas that you can take back and implement.

Our final tip is to drop us a line because this is what we do with business owners day in and day out. In our coaching we are there as a trusted advisor, we are an ear to chew, an extra pair of eyes, and we care about helping you succeed. Get in touch with us today at hello@dicebusiness.co.uk to get the dice rolling.