13 Step Survival Guide For Women Entrepreneurs To Get Through Tough Times
As I write this, our nation and entire world is facing an unprecedented event with the COVID-19 pandemic but the reality is running a home based business will always experience ups and downs from time to time. From economic hardships, worldly tragedies to family challenges there is always a possibility that your home based business will face times of hardship and uncertainty. While these situations can be difficult, I also believe they open the door for opportunities for women entrepreneurs to shine and persevere.
Together, my husband and I have over 10 years of combined home based business experience and we have faced our share of tough times. From these experiences, we’ve learned that you can either let those tough times get the best of you or you can become your best through it.
I believe these 13 non-negotiables can not only help you survive business hardships but they can actually help you come out the other side in a better place than where you started.
1. Don’t Grow Idle. Through hardships and difficulties the single most important thing to do is to keep putting one foot in front of the other and taking action. It’s okay to have hard days, it’s okay to focus on more self-care, it’s okay to feel anxious, it’s okay to lack motivation but day after day of being unproductive is not only bad for your business it’s bad emotionally and mentally.
Even if you only write down 1-2 goals daily, commit to doing something to take measurable action in your business. You may need to get creative right now on how you run and market your business but if you choose to do nothing and take the sit and wait approach, it will only add fuel to the fire of frustration and set your business back. So vow every day to do something. I promise at the end of every day you will feel more accomplished and productive.
2. Facts Over Fiction. During tough times, it’s really easy to get sucked into vegging out on the news and social media. Before you’ve even had your first cup of morning coffee, you could be freaking out over a thousand “what-ifs” instead of being informed about what is actually happening.
Be informed so you know what’s going on but focus on only dealing with the facts. Limit how much news you watch and stay off social media if it’s not good for your emotional or mental health. I for one always find it very interesting how many experts there are on Facebook. Seriously, most of the “what if” stories we create in our heads never happen, they only cause more anxiety and stress which is definitely not helpful in running a business.
3. Faith Over Fear. As a Christian, I heavily rely on my faith to carry me through tough situations. God wants to see me prosper and has a plan for my life while the enemy wants to see me fail. Satan knows that he can derail me with fear and doubt. Wherever you are right now spiritually, choose faith and positive vibes over being fearful. Remember, where the mind goes is where your energy will flow.
4. Strengthen Your Relationship with Existing Clients and Customers. When hard times strikes, it’s easy to go into full blown panic mode to start chasing new business but if there was ever a time to step up good customer service for your existing clients and customers it’s now. Don’t let your depressed mood and sense of urgency to find new customers and clients cause you to lose the existing ones you have.
During times of hardship is the time to strengthen existing relationships with each and every customer you are fortunate enough to have. Communicate with your customers, follow up with them in a caring and genuine way to let them know you care about them and find out if there is anything you can do to help and support them. This will go a very long way in helping to secure the business you have and can’t afford to lose.
5. Re-Evaluate Your Business. Maybe now is a good time for quality reflection on your business, to make some smart decisions about what has been working and what hasn’t. Be careful not to make decisions from an emotional or place of scarcity but an opportunity to deepen the passion you have for what you do and how you can make changes that will strengthen your business and the mission behind it.
6. Sow Seeds For New Leads. Just like we can’t afford to stop servicing our existing clients and customers during times of hardship, neither can we stop doing the work necessary to sow seeds for new leads. As hard as it may be, you have to keep pushing forward to build new relationships that can turn into new business prospects. Accept that during this time, things may feel slower but staying positive knowing that the work you are doing to plant the seeds will result in a harvest you can reap the benefits of as issues resolve and circumstances start to turn around. Bottom line is you can’t reap what you never sow.
7. Surround Yourself With Positive People. During difficult times, it’s more important than ever to avoid the Debbie Downers. You know, the doom and gloom people who want to see the rock bottom of every situation and aren’t happy until they have taken everyone down with them. Don't let yourself get caught up in fiction and conspiracy theories. I love this quote by Mister Rogers, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping”
Surround yourself with people who are choosing to see the positive side of what’s going on, who want to be proactive in helping to make a difference, other energetic business owners who are too busy getting on with life and their business to get caught up in the misery parade and choosing to count their blessings despite their own hardships. This is the kind of community that will have your back and inspire you on those particularly hard days when you want to throw in the towel of defeat.
8. Invest In Yourself and Your Business. This is a great time to invest in your personal development and your business, to tackle all those things you never had time for like launch or upgrade your website, write that email campaign, finish that course you signed up for, read that stack of personal development books collecting dust on the shelf, write blog posts, fine tune your Pinterest strategy, ramp up your social media presence.
Use this time to wisely to be productive and sharpen your skill sets!
9. Try Something New. When you face disruptions in your normal business routine, maybe this is a good time to try something new. Instead of fighting what’s not working right now, use it as an opportunity to get creative. Who knows what you will discover when you choose to go with the flow of the situation and push yourself out of your comfort zone.
10. Declutter. With some extra down time, it’s a great opportunity to declutter yourself personally and professionally. Clean out drawers and closets to simplify the physical junk you have been holding on to and this process is also good for emotional junk. Spend this time to embrace simplicity in all areas of your life so you can get back to focusing on what really matters.
11. Get Organized. While you are decluttering, use this time to get your home and business organized so you can work smarter and live more efficiently.
12. Learn From The Experience. I know this probably sounds a little cliche but most business owners are really good at beating themselves when things aren’t going right even if the circumstances are totally beyond their control but there isn't much that can be achieved from this. It’s a much better and more productive approach to take a step back and learn from the experience to grow personally and professionally.
Keep a journal during this time. Write down how you feel, what you are experiencing and what it’s teaching you. End each journal entry listing something you are grateful for. Times of hardship are times for us to focus on the blessings we do have and not what we don’t.
13. Give Yourself Grace. During times of hardship, there will be moments when you feel like you have it all together and moments when you want to sit down and cry or punch something. During this current pandemic I think I have experienced every emotional imaginable all in a 24 hour period. As an entrepreneur I want to kick myself because I know better than to allow my emotions to get the better of me but I have to remember too that I am human and I am allowed to feel. I am allowed to feel hopeful about this situation and I am also allowed to be scared and worried. Giving myself grace is what keeps me from beating myself up and helps me to keep going.
No matter what kind of hardships you are facing in your business, I pray these tips will help you not only navigate the daily journey but to feel confident that you can come out on the other side stronger and ready to take on the next level of your business. I believe you’ve got this and I hope you do too!
