To succeed as an entrepreneur, you must consistently deliver quality to your clients to make them come back for more. It’s also essential to control your time and schedule. Like losing weight or paying off personal debt, it’s a discipline that doesn’t happen overnight. It requires commitment to your business and the willingness to work hard each day. Here are five strategies that we recommend incorporating into your daily routine as quickly as possible after launching your business.
Be proactive
It’s easier to make a clear-headed decision when you have taken the time to plan your strategy rather than assuming a default reactionary mode. We recommend taking advantage of as many resources as possible to help with business planning. From an Outlook calendar to block out portions of your day to programs that allow you to plan a month at a time, using these tools will help you stay on top of things. Of course, unexpected things happen that can throw off your schedule so just make it a goal to return to it as soon as possible.
Hire a professional coach or seek a business mentor
Asking people to hold you accountable is noble, but not everyone is comfortable with this task. Your friends, for example, don’t want to hurt your feelings. Your colleagues or those you manage might feel it risks their own job if they’re honest about your shortcomings. Working with a professional is preferable for these reasons. A coach or mentor won’t be afraid to challenge you when you veer off task and help you find the solutions you might not come up with on your own.
Reward yourself for reaching goals
Do some soul searching to discover the rewards you find most meaningful and use those as an incentive to keep going during the hard times. For example, maybe you want to retire at 55 or save enough to put your kids through college. The only caveat is that the incentive should be meaningful enough so that you’re not tempted to brush it aside when challenges inevitably arise.
Set firm deadlines for reaching your goals
Deadlines can be stressful, but they’re also highly motivating. However, they can be easy to brush aside when you work for yourself. Be sure to set several short-term and long-term deadlines for yourself and keep the incentives you have chosen in mind as you do so. When a task feels impossible, knowing that you’re close to meeting a deadline can give you the motivation you need to push forward.
Create a support system
As much as you need someone who will challenge you, it’s also important to surround yourself with those who support your business goals. Consider joining an online or local networking group of business professionals in the same line of work as you. They will understand your challenges the best and encourage you when you’re feeling frustrated.
