Being a business owner is not for everyone. It’s exciting and scary at the same time, especially when you are just starting.
You may have heard those rags-to-riches entrepreneur stories, and hoped that it would be a smooth-sailing venture for you as well. But I’m pretty sure it wasn’t easy for them too. All business owners experience difficulties at some point. Some just give up, but some rise to the challenge and succeed.
Starting a Business Can Be Daunting
If this is something new to you, it can be scary and nerve-racking. Thinking of what you have to do to begin your business can be stressful, such as building your brand, sourcing, packaging, and shipping to name a few.
What if they don’t notice your shop? What will they think if they do notice it? And so many questions that come to mind when you are about to start your business.
If you’re feeling this, don’t worry – it’s valid and normal. We all feel jitters when we are about to do something big.
How to overcome it:
Feeling the jitters is normal when launching your business. What you can do is just go through it. Getting started will give you the momentum for your business venture to take off. Just think of this – It is much worse not to start at all than to have an imperfect launch. No one gets it right on the first try.
Loneliness
The loneliness related to launching a business is rarely talked about. This is especially true for sole business owners because they didn’t have teammates to fall back on when they built their company from the ground up. Building a business will take so much of your time. For some, compromise other things in their life to reach a certain milestone for the business.
There will be also people around you, may it be family or friends, who think that starting your business might not be a good idea.
How to overcome it:
Surround yourself with people who truly support you. They may not have a direct role in your business, but it helps when you have people you can turn or talk to when you are having difficulties.
Join communities online so you can build connections with other entrepreneurs experiencing the same thing.
Managing Time
Time management is especially difficult when you have so much to do. You have to make sure you are spending time on important tasks.
How to overcome it:
If you already have members on your team, you have to delegate tasks to lift some burden off your shoulders. Try to resist the urge of doing everything yourself. Be organized. Have a calendar of activities or a to-do list for the day.
It’s a Rollercoaster Ride
Owning a business won’t be smooth sailing, so fasten your seatbelts. There are usually unexpected challenges that come your way once in a while – may it be staffing, sourcing, quality issues, and financing to name some.
How to overcome it:
Resilience is key to overcoming this challenge. Persevere through them and consider every challenge a learning experience for you to be better the next time. You’ll learn to handle your business more effectively as time passes. Endure the hardships and you will come out stronger every time.
Burnout
Yes, burnout is also in the bag. As an entrepreneur, you have to be a jack of all trades – from social media to marketing, packaging, customer support. Your schedule will be packed and it will be exhausting.
How to overcome it:
Never forget to nurture yourself. Remember, your business is not the only important thing. Take care of your health and well-being. If you’re feeling tired, by all means, rest. Unwind if you need to. Take time to relax and breathe so you can face another day.
