We know how you’re feeling. It’s the end of January and the money isn’t coming in and you’re starting to panic.
You were doing well in the months leading up to now and it seemed like you had nailed that marketing plan down to a tee but right now it means nothing.
You’re stressed and questioning everything, including that lovely little marketing plan you took the time to write last year.
You’re tempted to just hit boost on a stack of Facebook posts without a solid plan is intense. But that wasn’t on the plan. It never was.
You’re looking at your competitors and fearing foul play.
You’re questioning if you should even be in business and you may even be howling into your laptop as you read this.
STOP.
Speaking from experience here (yes I have felt this and my gosh it is disabling) I want you to do the following straight away:
1. Call a trusted friend/colleague you can chat business with for a chat or catch up. Why? Because you need to hear from another (despite the situation right now) that you’re a great business person and hard worker. You also need to hear things like, maybe they are finding this month tough too or a story about how they dealt with similar.
2. Don’t quit your marketing plan. Keep going. If anything tweak a few things and maybe run a special or two …but nothing too desperate. If money is short for you, it’s also short for everyone else. Simply, it is the economy at fault here not people refusing to spend with you.
3. Stop blaming others on your side and TRUST. Thinking that post you had your designer create is the problem or the little typo in a caption is the issue here? It isn’t. Blaming those that provide you with support isn’t just uncool but not helpful.
4. Remember your ‘why’. Why did you create your business? Maybe it was to be more flexible with your family. Maybe it was to negate the need to work in a toxic work environment or very simply it could be that you felt you deserved to be your own boss.
5. Make a note of when these downtimes occur so you can combat this before the next year rolls around. Don’t let it take you by surprise again if at all possible!
6. Close the laptop. Step outside and take some time away. Do something kind for another person. It will instantly make you feel better and more positive.