How entrepreneurs can keep motivated when starting a new business

You can easily stay motivated by having a clear plan and a well-rested mind, making it easier to tackle situations and reach the highest peaks of success. So let’s get the ball rolling, using these guidelines as a helping hand to get yourself motivated.

Write a plan of action

A plan of action is a personal document which will highlight the tasks you want to take on each day. This can help you get back on track if you feel you may be losing focus, and will help to ensure that each day is as productive as possible. 

Your plan of action should include short term, easily achievable goals that will help to ensure constant progress. You may want to consider including some of the following in your own plan of action.

• Define your main business goal at the top of the page.
• Give yourself a start and end date, by doing this you will be able to accurately monitor any progress made.
• Create a savings goal – seeing your goals on paper and organised into bite-sized subsections makes the work much more manageable, and easier to accomplish.
• Save small amounts of money each day – by putting aside small amounts of money for expansion and growth each day you’re focusing on the smaller aspects that will make the long term goal feel more achievable.

Think small

When starting a business, you will most likely have limited resources and a conservative budget. You may have a tendency to dream big and see your business as a great profit generator, but, instead of putting strain on yourself and your business by reaching too far too soon, it may be a good idea to think small.

By having small attainable goals they will be easier to complete, therefore you will get the sense of achievement to keep you motivated and push you to your next goal. All goals you set should be SMART goals. 

Specific: State exactly what you want to accomplish. (Who, What, Where, Why)
Measurable: How will you demonstrate and evaluate the extent to which the goal has been met?
Achievable: Create challenging goals within your ability to accomplish them. 
Relevant: How does the goals you set fit into your key responsibility. 
Time-bound: Set dates for your goals to be finished by. Include deadlines, dates and frequency. 

Never stop learning

Learning about starting your own business and the niche you operate within can make the process of starting up in business a lot easier. You can learn in a multitude of ways:

Read books of others who have achieved their business goals. Reading through other people’s startup business journeys can provide great inspiration and motivation.

Knowing the problems others have faced on the way to business success and seeing that they are not insurmountable can help you to keep on track in terms of confidence and motivation. 

Look at online blogs that offer actionable advice. Online business blogs and forums are available all over the web; take some time to join the most relevant forums you can, and chat to other people on the same path as you. When you feel your motivation lacking, talking to others in the same boat as you is a great way to stay motivated. 

Taking classes on your subject of choice is a brilliant way to keep learning. For example say your startup is a tailor shop – your class would be learning new stitches and ways to create and fix clothes. You may find yourself learning new things and also you can network with similar minded people. 

If you keep learning about your product you will find that your ambition and inspiration is reflected in others pushing you to keep on striving towards your end goal.

Continue reading on the next page to understand why it’s important to include congratulations and rest in your strategy.

Image: Shutterstock

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