If you’ve never owned a business before, getting started for the first time can be a bit confusing and also disheartening, especially when you’re embarking on a journey to make a living doing something you love. There is learning how to create products, how to sell and how to make your brand as known as possible. It can be tough and unfortunately many creatives won’t make it past the planning stages. If you’re one of the ones who have pressed your way through the beginner blues you’re not out of the dark just yet. Now there is the potential of falling out of love with what you do, becoming burnt-out or the feeling of becoming stuck and stagnant at your current level. That feeling HAS to be one of the most frustrating feelings in the world to an entrepreneur.
Trust me, I know from experience! I’ve been there with my previous online shop and also with T.A.N. For a long time I felt like I was working extremely hard but wasn’t seeing any type of growth in return. My pageviews were at a halt and I felt like I had hit a cap with my monthly income. Good news is, that feeling is completely normal and is something most creatives experience a time or two within their journey. If you’re feeling the same way with your brand, today I wanted to share a few tips that will help you get “unstuck” and also push your business to the next level!
FIRST OFF, ASK YOURSELF “AM I TRULY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT I AM DOING?”
“You can have passion without a business, but you can’t have a business without passion”. Genuine passion is what’s going to wake you up a few hours earlier to work on your business before clocking into your 9-5. It’s what will keep you motivated when it seems like everything is falling apart. And it’s what you would do for the rest of your life even if you weren’t getting paid for it.
Sit back and ask yourself if you even love what you’re doing and if you still find joy in it. You don’t necessarily have to scrap your entire business. The biggest mistake I see a lot of us business owners make is that we try to do what’s on “trend” instead of what’s in our hearts! If you don’t feel called to be a business coach, then by all means don’t do it! If you don’t want to sell physical products but feel called to teach others how, do it! Do what’s in your heart and not what’s working for everyone else!
GET CLEAR ON WHO YOU ARE TARGETING & GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED
I began to feel stagnant here on this blog when I noticed that I wasn’t working for my ideal audience. Not only was I not receiving the amount of new clients I desired but I also saw a lack of engagement on my posts. So I started over and got really specific about WHO I wanted to cater all of my content to.
Once I became extremely clear on my “perfect people” (creative women who were stressed and confused about starting or growing their businesses) I began creating content around their specific needs. Sure enough, my sales increased! Not everyone will need what you have to offer, nor will everyone even like what you have to offer! And that’s ok! If you want to grow in your business and get out of the rut, focus on the people who are truly within your target audience and consistently give them what they need!
RE-EVALUATE YOUR FOUNDATION
Another reason you may be feeling stagnant or stuck in your business is because you haven’t built a solid foundation. And when I say foundation, I’m talking about your brand! Yes, you may have a gorgeous website and logo, but being pretty alone is not what will make people want to buy nor get you to the next level in your business! You need to get extremely clear on your WHY. Why do you do what you do? What is the purpose behind your brand besides just doing something that you love? You need to get really clear on your unique story and use that to connect with your audience! Don’t be afraid to throw your personality all up and through your business and just watch how people flock to it!
And don’t forget to stay consistent! It’s nearly impossible to grow within your business if your foundation is a little shaky. It’s like building a house on a crumbling foundation!
Over the years I’ve noticed that if you are feeling stuck or stagnant in your current business, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to scrap the entire idea and start from scratch. More than likely all you need is a little guidance and to get back to the basics and make sure you’re building a brand on a solid foundation! Through my Month of Clarity 1:1 coaching session, I work with creatives like you who need help getting unstuck and need to build a solid foundation for their brand. Learn more about my service offerings and how to book your session with me!
What have you done to get “unstuck” in your business?
