5 ways to stay positive about your business even in trying times

While there are so many benefits to giving up the salaried life and starting your own business, there is also no doubt that entrepreneurs often face crises of confidence, when they feel swamped by the amount of work they have to do, and terrified of the huge risk they are taking financially and otherwise by starting their own business.

“My first venture exposed me to the challenges, thrills and joys that building something from the ground up offers,” says Vaishnavi Murali, whose firm Eikowa sells original art pieces online. “It also convinced me that I should take the plunge full time, sooner or later.”

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Agrees Purva Grover of The Indian Trumpet, “No growing up is complete without a few bruises.”

Bruises can be healed, but how? Here are five ways to stay positive about your startup when it goes through trying times.

• Stay calm

A calm entrepreneur is a good entrepreneur. It’s natural to panic when it seems everything is out of control, so give in to the panic for an hour perhaps, and then hunker down and work out a plan to resolve the situation..

• Concentrate on work

Part of staying calm is to concentrate on the product or service that you set out to fulfil. Once your plan is in place, it’s best to put on your blinkers for a bit and simply focus on your work. As you see the product or service improve, you’ll feel much more positive about your business.

• Avoid negativity

Misery loves company, but misery also engenders more misery, so avoid all negativity like it’s the plague (which it is). Block out the moans of negative employees, customers, relatives - anyone. Chat only with people who really believe in you and your work. Moral support is good for you.

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• Don’t give up

The path to success is always rough. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t be worth travelling. If you get off the path mid-way because of an obstacle, you will never know if your business idea and plan was actually brilliant. Don’t stop. Just keep going.

• Don’t be afraid to change your plan

You can’t keep going on the same path forever, however. If your plan fails more than three times, then probably the problem lies with the plan itself, not with you. Tweak your plans regularly to make better products and services for your consumers. So while you have a vision and a mission, know that these are not carved in stone.

Feature image credit: Christina Caryle