With burnout and worker dissatisfaction rising, there’s been a recent wave of people quitting their jobs to become small business owners. You set your own schedule, don’t spend the day getting ordered around, and get to make a living doing what you love. What’s not to like?
Unfortunately, small business owners face a lot of adversity in their pursuit of success. Once the initial thrill has worn off, reality settles in. Going it alone isn’t easy, and it certainly isn’t for everyone. However, it’s important to not lose sight of the goal, and retain your passion for your work, employee or entrepreneur.
The Challenges
As mentioned above, being a small business owner often proves to be extremely challenging. Between getting your name out there, keeping up with customers, and producing high quality products, you’ve got a lot on your plate, especially for one person. Before you take the plunge, you have to be prepared. Many people vastly underestimate the challenges involved, and are completely blindsided by the reality of it. One of the most difficult steps in running a business is getting it off the ground, but having a plan gives you a sense of direction to do so.
The Benefits
Chances are, you’ve already seen the advantages of being a solopreneur. Small business owners across the internet have inspiring success stories to tell, and if they made it, so can you! Sure, it’ll be difficult, but it certainly can be done, and you’ll reap the benefits from the effort you put in at the start. Done properly, a small business can be the ultimate creative outlet. Not only do you get to spend your time doing what you love, but it pays a comfortable wage as well!
If you’re in that early phase of difficulty, don’t give up. You may not quite be there yet, but you’re well on your way as it is. It won’t be this difficult forever. Don’t lose sight of the love and passion you had for your business when you started out. Chances are, you’ve wanted to do this for a while, maybe even your entire life. To give up now would be a waste. Double down, and prove to yourself and the world that you can do it.
Focus on Your Mental Health
For most people, it’s impossible to remain upbeat and cheery throughout every challenge. Here’s the thing, though: you don’t need to. It’s okay to have rough days. It’s okay to feel discouraged. It’s okay to take a break. All that matters is that you can pick yourself back up and keep going.
Many small business owners struggle with their mental health because of the toll their work takes. And while it may be tempting to keep pushing, you need to pay attention to your mental health. Your body is a delicate machine that needs rest, and your brain is a part of that machine. Like the rest of your body, the brain needs time to rest and recuperate. You wouldn’t show up to work a construction job with a broken leg, would you? Obviously not. So even if your mental health isn’t tangible or visible like your physical health, it’s no less important.
In the hypothetical construction job, what would happen if you started working with a broken leg? Chances are, you’d injure it even worse, keeping you out of commission and in worse shape than if you had just stayed put. Likewise, if you neglect your mental health, you open yourself up to every small business owner’s anathema: burnout.
Burnout
Leading to depression, demotivation, and a sense of hopelessness, burnout has been the killer of many a business, despite being entirely preventable. Let’s look at it from a more practical standpoint. Even before the obvious detriments to you as an individual, burnout leads to a decrease in productivity, and as such a decrease in profit. Sure, taking a week off will cost you money, but suffering from burnout will cost you more. The brain doesn’t like to be ignored, and if you refuse to give it the rest it needs, it’ll force that rest upon you.
Simply put, you can halt your business for a week now, or for a month later on. Remember that you’re only human, and every human has their limits. This is especially important if you run a business alone. Without you, its driving force, the business simply can’t operate. As such, you need to make sure that you’re healthy in both body and mind, and are able to wake up each morning ready for the day ahead.
Be Content but Eager
Whether you’re an employee or an entrepreneur, being able to find joy and contentment in life is the key to your mental health. Maybe life isn’t perfect, but there’s always something to be thankful for. Even if you are eager to grow, this eagerness should be rooted in a desire to improve, not escape reality as it is now. While there’s no harm in being hopeful, you need to take time to appreciate the present as well. Stop and smell the roses. Look for the best in life. Soon, you’ll find you’ve grown further than you ever thought possible.
