What are some strategies for maintaining a positive attitude when owning a small business?

The biggest asset they will bring you is a smiling, intelligent personality with the ability to send a customer away with the thoughts of the conversation with the attendant that resulted in saying ‘that’s why I’m dealing with this firm!!😊 My father had it and it’s what truly made our company successful! 👍

Celebrate small successes and look after your cash and avoid negative people. Spend time each month looking at the future horizon for your business.

Maintaining a healthy mindset through goal setting is hard. Most companies, including mine, never meet goals. We either under perform or sometimes over perform (beating our plan by a lot) which creates another set of issues. Rather than goal setting: Start with a set of assumptions and model what might happen. For example: We will create 5 leads per month which will turn into 6 new clients per year. Our average sale will be 50k, so our revenue could be 300k. Assumptions are more effective than goals. I’m addition, I’ve found that setting priorities is critical for success.. What do we need to prioritize to secure 5 leads a month and 6 clients per year?

Positivity begins when you are humble and appreciate there is a greater power in charge, next you have to remind yourself, how you got to where you are and focus on all the victories, both large and small and come in each day knowing that even if you get paid, you have an opportunity each day to make a difference in someone's life.

For me it starts with knowing why you want to own your business and what is it trying to achieve, what problem it's solving. I found setting 5 year goals daunting because of not knowing how to get there. Instead I would keep clear my why and my vision, keep taking action and adjusting. Social media can be dangerous at this point because not often you see posts about how challenging this time is. Having a support group is extremely important. Decide how much time you can put into it every week and be realistic in what can be done in that time

Join a group of peers within your industry of local competitors. You can pay for this or join one that already exists. If it doesn't, create one yourself. Personally, I've spent about $10,000 on industry-specific coaching groups and affinity groups this year. We can't do it alone. I've learned so much from my peers in the technical side of things, photography in this case. And I've also learned so much from my mastermind groups, which are groups of business owners from different industries. Customer service is the same for everyone but plays out differently. If you're only learning from your industry peers, it might turn into an echo chamber. Learning from other industries will help you expand your quality.

I found emotional support is the best. Starting and running a business can bring up a lot of emotions and impact your mindset and ability to problem solve and pivot. Having a support group, a coach, whatever is relevant for you, will help navigate that journey

Consider joining or forming networks consisting of fellow business owners who provide a valuable support system. Regular meetings where members share their challenges and successes can offer diverse perspectives and practical solutions.

Naaah! SME entrepreneurs don't love, in Italy, to make something with others. They don't love "day by day" advice from "normal" people as customers, fellow employers and so on. They can only afford on the rare and precious advice of a "superstar consultant", with a strong covenant of exclusivity. I must admit, that I agree con this vision. Obviously, you have to be a real superstar.

Yes, instead of goals above, take time to reflect. This is best done in a side-by-side situation, ie. with a coach or mentor. This is where you can find serious value.

I agree. It’s imperative to prioritize your own wellbeing. 1) Schedule 1 weekend per month that you do NO work. 2) Take a long weekend every quarter. Schedule it off. 3) When you can, schedule a break in the AM and another in the PM daily to do some time of activity to support your para-sympathetic nervous system. The stress of entrepreneurship triggers the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and you need to clear that energy and rebalance. Meditation, breathing, exercise or just walking will do it.

Been there! It's not pleasant. I have learned the importance of planning and sticking to it. Decide on what's important to you and how you're going to spend your time. A mindset shift might be required too, one in which you taking time off the business gives you perspective, a chance to reset in order to come back to it with renewed energy

Implement time-blocking techniques in your schedule. Allocate specific time slots for work, personal life, and self-care. This method not only ensures you dedicate time to what matters most but also aids in mental separation.

It's so easy to forget about our own needs, and even our own rest when we have so many conflicting priorities: clients, kids, house, business admin... The knock on impact of it, is how we feel about ourselves, our happiness levels, our self-worth and self-love. Knowing what lights you up, and gives you that kick ass energy back, and finding time every day to do it even if for a few minutes, will take you back into that good place, where you are magnetic, fabulous and successful self!

I personally don't believe in the concept of work life balance. Many founders we have worked with are doing everything in their business. When they take time off they feel guilty, or struggle to relax or don't take enough time off. I believe in work life integration and building a life of your own design by aligning your time with your highest values. E.g if your highest value is health and wellness. Do walking meetings outiside. Or look at ways of incorporating wellness into your day to day life.

Everything you do will not be successful. There will be successes and failures in your business. Even in the middle of something going sideways, there are likely other aspects of the business that are going well. Be discerning as you evaluate the situation and take into account both the good and the bad.

Have a strong community around you. People who have experience in small business don't walk alone. It can be challenging, so having a good attitude and a great structure can also help.

It's not always easy, but focusing on the positive is essential for long-term success. 1. Remember Your Mission: You started your business for a reason, right? Take a step back and remind yourself of that mission. What impact did you want to make in someone's life or their business? 2. Embrace Your Uniqueness: Your skills, experiences, and perspectives are what make your business special. Don't forget that what you bring to the table is valuable. Your qualities set you apart from the competition. 3. The Ripple Effect: Think of your business as tossing a stone in a pond. The ripples it creates extend far beyond the initial splash. Your products or services can have a positive impact on customers, their communities, and maybe even the world.

Enjoy the Journey. Acknowledge and celebrate the smaller wins or accomplishment on you path through starting and growing your business. Appreciate the opportunity you are fortunate to be able to enjoy, and accept all of it - the highs and the lows - as part of the journey. “It’s the not the Destination, It’s the journey.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gratitude is strength and something people are attracted to. Thanks - appreciation - liking things are noticed. Who do people want to spend time with - grateful and happy people or complainers? People know the minute they walk into your store, or talk to you on the phone, or receive an email from you if you are a grateful person and company or a place to avoid. Strive for gratitude with sincerity. Build your work on gratitude.

Measure your business performance and keep an open mind around learning from the insights and pivoting when needed. The business world is changing fast so learning is not really an option, it's survival, keeping up with competition

Explore New Markets: Be open to exploring new markets and demographics for potential growth. Seek Solutions: Approach challenges as opportunities to find creative solutions and make your business more resilient. Stay Informed: Stay updated with industry trends, market developments, and emerging technologies. Networking: Engage with mentors, peers, and industry experts to gain insights and knowledge. Fail Forward: Embrace failures as learning experiences that can lead to future success. Feedback: Be receptive to feedback and use it to refine your business strategies.

Para un empresario es central desarrollar la curiosidad y la vocación de entender qué sucede desde la perspectiva de un científico, un explorador o un detective. Con esas herramientas no hay nunca un fracaso, solo aprendizaje y evolución.

One of my 3 big mantras is that I will always be learning and growing. That's why I am in business, it's the best place for it. But you only learn and grow from failures, or when things aren't working out. So the paradox is to enjoy the down times more than the up. In the good times, just go to the beach.

Business owners with a growth mindset see setbacks as stepping stones. They realize that business growth and personal growth go hand-in-hand. Expect to challenge your limits – including your mindset, behaviors and business practices. I believe that success is messy. You will experience setbacks and face failure. Instead of viewing that as a dead end, adapt a new approach. Learn from the experience to uncover what worked and what didn’t work. Then put processes in place to have a better outcome the next time you’re faced with a similar situation.

Business ownership can be lonely (even with co-owners or multiple partners). Business owners often start out as visionaries with ambitious goals, but get trapped in the day-to-day. Naturally, owners start looking at the short-term and lack discipline to prioritize working on the things that will achieve their vision. To solve this, there are a few best practices: - stay deeply connected to your WHY - have a solid roadmap in how to achieve your vision - build a trusted team, including 3rd party perspectives, to help remove the emotion and stay focused at the 30k ft view Everyone needs support, accountability, and a sounding board, but unfortunately most small business owners do not get this as they lead their team through growth / scale.

Befriend fellow business owners, get a mentor, network, find a community, identify your tribe...whatever works for you, surround yourself with people who a) really 'get it' and b) that you can genuinely trust to call upon for help. It is impossible to remain positive, upbeat and motivated all of the time, so having a group of people you can reach out, ask for advice and who will support you is so important.

Surround yourself with other business owners, whether they are in the same industry or completely different ones. You will have the support and feedback you need, not just to take, but to give as well, which is very meaningful. I belong to a mastermind group which is typically a small group of entrepreneurs (4-6 works best). We meet monthly at a designated time (first Monday of the month from 5-7PM) and each are able to share for a certain amount of time. Bring your short term and long term goals or be held accountable to do certain tasks (build a mailing list, or make 3 sales calls this week, etc). It is a great sharing experience that helps you set and maintain short term strategies to accomplish what you need as you grow.

Owning your own business is an heady mix of exhilarating and frustrating, often with a large dash of overwhelm thrown in. Don't get me wrong, I have always been self-employed and I would never chose to have another way! It is sometimes a lonely place to be and this is when you need to rely on your WHY for setting up the business in the first place and your discipline. These are the two things that will get you out of bed when all you want to do is scream into your pillow and ignore the day! All the points that have been raised here are valid and I would add that in those phases when nothing is happening fast enough, make sure that your days are spent moving forward! However slowly that may be, show up everyday and you will succeed!!

You must basically profile the SME's owner. I created a matrix with age and prevalent culture ( not education). I can extract 4 mix. 1. Self made man, successfully 2. A mature owner, declining 3. Me tooers. Imitative company leader 4. Rational leader, technology driven, with lack, often, of empathy Well you must have very different menus for this four different restaurants!!