What To Do When You Feel “Stuck” in Your Business

We all start out in our businesses with big dreams, big goals, and a motivation to succeed. It’s easy to stay excited and engaged when your new venture is – well, new! But what happens when you have been working your business for a while, and you start to lose that focus? What can you do when you start to feel stuck in your dream business?

#1: Know You’re Not Alone

Many entrepreneurs go through a phase in their business where they lose focus, or get trapped in the day to day minutia of running a business. It’s very common. The most important thing to remember is just because you are feeling this way right now doesn’t reflect on your abilities to be an effective entrepreneur. What defines your success is what you do when you find yourself in this situation.

#2: Break Out of Your Routine

If you feel stuck in a rut – then make a change of venue. Get out of the office for a few days. Go to a conference, go to the beach, hit the ski slopes – whatever helps you get those creative juices flowing again. Sometimes, all we need is a change of perspective to get back into a mindset of innovation.

#3: Reconnect with Your Customers

If you find yourself feeling stuck – you may simply just have lost sight of your “why”. You created your business to solve a problem – through a product or service. If you’re a service-based business, take a few clients out for coffee and spend more time listening than talking. Ask them about where they are really struggling, and what’s going well in their business. If you’re product-based, spend a week in your customer service department. Your goal should be to hear the unfiltered voices of the very people you created your business to help. This may help you reignite that fire, and present new opportunities to pursue.

#4: Hire a Coach or Join a Mastermind 

Sometimes, the best way to get yourself back in the game is to bring in an objective third party perspective. Someone who is not at all involved with your business to review where you are, and offer insights into how you can get to the next step. If we truly are the sum of the top 5 people we spend the most time with, spending time with people focused on innovation and opportunities can only help.

Not sure where to start? Join the Veteran on the Move Facebook group to connect with other veteran and military-spouse entrepreneurs.