5 Signs You Have Fallen Out of Love With Your Business
There is an abundance of articles online or in magazines that tackle the idea of whether or not you are still in love with your partner. Or if things have faded and it’s possibly time to move on. Not so many on whether or not you have fallen out of love with your business.
Sure, it’s heady at the beginning. That thrill of the unknown. The excitement of what lies ahead. Lofty goals driving you towards sleepless nights. Those tantalisingly tangible outcomes leading you to your dream of imagined and glorious success.
But what happens when the exhilaration subsides? When the butterflies have settled, and the adrenalin rush you used to feel just getting up in the morning has dwindled. And a very-much-necessary double shot of espresso just to get you out the door?
What do you do when the love affair with your entrepreneurial venture is on a downhill slide? And how can you help reel it back into a healthy relationship? Furthermore, is it even worth saving?
These are the five key signs you need to watch out for. They will help you recognise that your relationship with your business is on rocky terrain.
1. Your Relationships With Your Business Partners are Disasters
If all of the involved business partners are failing to agree on the future, disagree on most aspects of the business, and meetings often end in dispute you’re on a fast track to failure.
A key component of running a healthy business includes everyone involved having the same values which were mutually established and agreed upon. Future planning should have also been included in the initial stages of building your business. If these components don’t align, or if people change their opinion on critical issues it’s unlikely to end well. [For more on establishing Purpose, Vision and Values see our Fuel My Business app for the perfect roadmap to help you figure that out.]
A business consultant or coach can help you identify how to move forward. Identify what steps to take to remedy your current situation. They can also help you understand when it might be time to make a split for the good of the business if you want it to succeed.
2. Financially, You’re Floundering
When your functional cash flow isn’t healthy, it can create feelings of anxiety, stress, or mistrust. And even resentment.
You may think others aren’t pulling their weight in the company. Or that clients are taking you for a ride when it comes to settling their accounts. This can lead to those aforementioned feelings being transposed onto your business which adds to the negative associations with ploughing forward despite your misgivings.
When you aren’t worried about an unhealthy cash flow, that’s a red flag. If the prospect of curtains to your business doesn’t make you jump into immediate action, you are definitely not in love with your business.
It’s important to ensure you have niched down to ensure you are targeting the right markets. The right demographic is key, and everyone involved in your business has the same aim at heart. Which is to succeed and prosper!
3. If You’ve Fallen Out of Love With Your Business, It’s a Struggle to Start Working Every Day
Do you have panic attacks on Sunday evening just thinking about your next workday? Or get the day-before-work-blues? It’s a sign that your enthusiasm levels have dropped precipitously.
Remember when you couldn’t wait to get stuck in? And you were motivated 24/7? Always absorbing ideas and thinking about your business and how you could improve, streamline, and expand your brilliant venture?
If those days seem like a distant memory, chances are your feelings of dread and lack of motivation are a serious warning sign.
You need to reinvigorate that initial puppy love that saw you jumping through whatever hoops necessary to get your business from A to B. If you can’t do that or it seems impossible, it might be time to call it a day. Every business needs a leader with unbridled enthusiasm to see their plans for growth and success through.
4. Suddenly Looking At Other Opportunities?
Nobody likes a cheater. And even in a business relationship, this is still very much a real thing.
Did you get bored of your current venture? Are your eyes wandering and considering taking up a whole new relationship because you are missing those heady initial days?
When other projects begin to seduce you away from investing your time and energy into your current business, it could be a warning sign. If it’s hotter, younger, and has seductive new tech that might just lure you from your current business baby you may need to rethink your relationship with your existing business. How can you make it relevant again? Do you need a coach or consultant to make you see what you fell in love with in the first place? It’s possible.
And it might not be the case that your existing business isn’t the right one for you. But if you constantly have wandering eyes, it just might be the universe telling you that you have fallen out of love with your business. That your business relationship is over. To be fair, if your heart isn’t in it, your business isn’t going to stand a chance. If you have partners it might be the time to hand over your reins and go with something that truly drives you. Just beware that if you tend to do this on a repeat basis you might be a serial business monogamist who never puts a ring on it.
5. You Resent Sacrifices Made on Your Startup Journey
It’s exciting to be involved in a startup business. But what happens when you see others in your circle making life progress that you perhaps sacrificed to pursue your business dreams?
You might have delayed getting married. Having children. Foregone holidays and travel and other life experiences because of the endless hours and commitment you have given to your business pursuits.
When you see others enjoying those things that you ‘gave up’, it can cause unpleasant feelings upon self-reflection and the choices you have made. Were they worth it? Are some of them irreversible? Did you lose quality time spent with others who are no longer here? Live in a tiny flat to accommodate your lack of cash flow? Can’t afford the things you want until your business comes to fruition?
Understand that your business dreams should be at the forefront of your thoughts and thought processes. But if they are impeding on certain life stages or your quality of life long term to a point that you will resent them it may be worth rethinking your priorities.
If you have changed, or your outlook has changed on what you want out of your business then recognise that the business might not be at fault. Maybe your needs have.
Perhaps outsourcing will help you. Perhaps a fresh strategy, new marketing, or branding plan will elevate your perception of your business model as one that won’t be a distant lover.
Final Thoughts: Have You Fallen Out of Love With Your Business?
If you loved your business at the start, chances are you can again. It’s up to you to figure out what you need to tip the balance in your favour and rekindle that relationship.
Aim to keep it joyful and a pursuit that you enjoy. When the fun stops and you regret making the choice to keep the business going, it’s likely time to rethink that relationship.
Remind yourself why you started the business in the first place, and create a support system that outsources if necessary to ensure you have the help you need.
Make your working day a better, healthier day and work on that relationship if you truly want to make things thrive.
Check out our Fuel My Business App for guidance on getting you back on track.
