8 Ways to Boost Your Self Confidence When the Startup Process is Rough
As a budding entrepreneur, you’ll learn quickly just how much skin in the game you hold. Your business is a personal effort. It’s your passion, your pride and joy – it’s the job you’ve always wanted. And your franchise is what you’ve put many blood and tears and hardworking hours into making a reality.
It’s hard not to take its progress personally.
When things go wrong with your business, it hurts. When someone badmouths or a deadline wasn’t met, you ache a little on the inside. That’s just part of it.
Your franchise is a part of you. Therefore, you have a vested personal interest in how it succeeds. Or when it doesn’t, you feel the burn.
Over time you will learn to separate these feelings and understand that a little pain is how you grow as a business owner. In the meantime – and to get you through any hardships along the way – look to these tried and true methods of boosting your spirits.
1. Look at How Far You’ve Come
Seriously. Where did you begin? Where was your franchise when you first began? It’s likely that it didn’t get exist at all! You are the one who made the efforts for your business to first, actually exist, and then to grow as an establishment. Even if you aren’t yet open for business, consider all the steps you’ve made toward opening day.
Alternatively, if you’re still looking to franchise, consider your personal accomplishments. What have you done? Where did you start out? You’ve created yourself into something! Personal growth has been achieved through your professional efforts! Don’t overlook all you have done.
2. Remember that Nothing Worth Having Comes Easily
It’s true. If owning a franchise were easy-peasy, everyone would do it. There would be an oversaturation of the market, and there would be no room for growth. But work is involved and a fair amount of effort – this is true of any good thing worth having. Don’t dwell on the difficult parts, just remember they are the reason your franchise is worth the hard work.
3. Call Someone Close to You
Even the biggest players need a pick-me-up every now and then. The same is true for you. Bad days happen, and that’s ok! The key is to not dwell on said bad day and to focus on the good instead. Call your mom, call a best friend, a cousin, a former co-worker – someone who has your best interests in mind and who will let you vent without talking yourself down. Instead, let them give you a much-needed pep talk and take their words seriously. They know you and they speak the truth, even when it comes to your professional ventures.
4. Learn From the Hardship
What has you down? Is there a lesson to be learned? Can your franchise benefit by whatever took place? How can you take this unfortunate instance and turn it in your favor? The better you’re able to take each instance with a grain of salt and turn it into a learning experience, the more mature and seasoned you will become as a business owner.
5. Take Time From the Situation
Oftentimes things sting at first, but then once you’ve taken a step back, they become more trivial. If you’re overwhelmed or taking business decisions personally, step away for a short time. Sleep on it, work on other tasks, or simply shelf it for a day or two. Chances are that once you come back to whatever’s bothering you, you will have far more clarity toward the situation as a whole.
6. Buy Something Fun … and Necessary
When running a business, there’s a constant battle between what you need and what’s in the budget. The next time something strikes you in the feelings, take an opportunity to buy something needed. A new item that you have been wanting, yet putting off for the expense. You won’t feel guilty about splurging, in fact, you’ll feel responsible for spending your dollars on the business and getting something practical.
7. Find a New Tactic
If at first you don’t succeed … find a new approach. Use your best creative reasoning skills to find a workaround. Of course, you can always look to the help of other franchisees, your franchising brand, or any fellow entrepreneurs who might have encountered a similar problem.
8. Power Through
Sometimes you just have to make the best of a situation. Deadlines are near, expectations are high (including your own), and there’s no time to waste. Instead you put your nose down and get to work and make progress. It’s not always pleasant, but it’s the responsible thing to do as a business owner, and you’ll create some serious growth out of a bad situation.
There’s no denying that business owners will have rough days. Days where things don’t go as planned or the tasks pile up too high. Use these steps to overcome and push through such instances in order to grow as a franchisee, and to set up your location for increased success.