If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, you should know that success does not happen overnight. In fact, it can take a few years until your business grows large enough where you begin to make profit. There will be a load of tireless nights away from your family and friends, all in the aim of rendering your clients happier and exceeding customer expectations. The gratification of success will not happen right away, therefore patience and perseverance are virtues that only entrepreneurs with a stubborn need to see their vision materialize will reap. While progress in business ebbs and flows, there are various methods you can use to self-motivate yourself during the tribulations of slow results. Think of any company—from Payne Glasses (an optical eyewear company specialized in blue blockers) to Maddy K Atelier—and you’ll realize that they both weren’t making millions from the get-go of their company launch. You’ll have no choice but to invest a lot of your money into a project that isn’t reaping profits from the beginning, or else you’ll have no choice but to close shop and move onto another 9 to 5 job. That cushy office, awesome business titles, and perks that come with a corporate lifestyle are all great. However, are they truly as rewarding as a baby that you have built into a powerhouse? Keep a hold of your vision and recognize that you can take critical steps to maintain a positive, long-term outlook on success.
Success Tip 1: Celebrate the Small Victories
Sure, you’re not going to consider yourself uber successful after a few months of grind. However, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t tap yourself on the back for the effort behind that grind. The results are not always what matters when looking at performance. A small, ungreased engine will take time to move forward, and if you do not self-motivate yourself then no one else will. That’s why more than 90% of entrepreneurs leave when they see that their efforts have brought them nowhere, simply because no one else is giving them a big thumbs-up and telling them how inspirational their hard work is. Pop open a champagne (or prosecco—since all that spare cash is likely going to your company!) bottle every now and again, get your friends together and take the night on the town. Learn to encourage yourself to move forward with your growth plan by taking at least five minutes every morning to write out your business to-do goals and right under also taking note of ten words of encouragement that you can allow yourself to scratch off once you’ve completed an item on your task list.
Success Tip 2: Exercise is for the Champions
After interviewing many successful people, from doctors, marketing experts to news anchors, we have come to the conclusion that exercise is an essential routine for those who wish to overcome all those business hurdles that keep you from moving forward with your hustle. You’re bound to hit rock bottom now and again, and when that happens you need a vibrantly-thought-out plan to keep you from combusting. When failure hits or a tragedy hits your family or friend circle, you may feel like hiding out in a hole is more preferable than panging away on your keyboard. In order to avoid defeat, exercising regularly has been reported to have a more positive impact on your stress hormones than anti-depressants alone. For the most optimal results, small spurts of exercise throughout the day are preferred. Instead of getting your one hour workout done before or after work, hit the mat during your lunch break for a 20 minute power yoga session, walk your dog in the park right after work so that you can get some sunshine and dedicate bursts of energy on the elliptical in your condominium gym as dawn breaks. The bodily chemicals that make you feel bad are called cortisol and adrenaline, and the best way to avoid them are by making it a goal to move every 30 minutes to an hour. Coffee break, anyone?
Success Tip 3: Set Consistent Goal Reminders
All those anti-success stories that you hear of about good for nothing companies that ended up going bankrupt are good only for teaching you what went wrong so that you do not re-do the same mistakes. However, it is important to note that most of these unsuccessful businesses lacked managerial focus. Management got bogged down quite easily with red financial figures, an overstock of product and difficulties with product-to-market efficiencies. Visualizing your future success is a lesson in metaphysical science. Thoughts really do become things, that’s why focusing on the positive returns that your company will reap through visual affirmations and encouragement taped in your office, on your bedroom mirror or even on your laptop will allow you to acknowledge and remember what it is that you want. Tough times can make you forget the reasons behind why you’re doing what you do. Latch onto the power of passion for your work and you’ll seen recognize that the days where no one knew you in your industry are long gone.
Startup Success Can Take Years
When you’re a startup like Payne Glasses, it’s not abnormal for your work 20+ hour days to just make ends meet. You have an overflow of work that needs to get done and a lack of human and technical resources to help you out. You learn to wear all the hats, as Maddy K had described in her interview with a prestigious business magazine. From event planning, to dealing with partners, third-party suppliers and sponsors, venue organizers and a demanding client, you pick up valuable lessons about how to make your name known in an emerging industry. It’s all about branding and having people recognize that you are the best in the industry—something that can take decades to build up. In Payne Glasses case, the company owner Chen is fulfilling a need to provide blue blocker eyeglasses in an oversaturated industry. While Maddy K opened up her 2003 corporation during a time when Montreal didn’t have a renowned luxury event planner, Payne Glasses is introducing products that are already competitively sold in the online market. Each startup will have its own slew of challenges to face, and no matter how impossible it may seem to you as the business owner to overcome them, continued faith in your product/service and investment towards expanding brand awareness will work in your favor.
I wanted to thank you for this advice about growing a startup business. You mentioned that you should try to focus on the positive returns of a company. This also seems like a good way for a business to remain focus on their accomplishments and maintaining a positive attitude.
Hi Taylor,
Thank you 🙂
yes it is.