When you started your company, you probably had heaps of entrepreneurial passion. Maybe you’d wake in the middle of the night, compelled to scribble down new ideas that had spontaneously come to you. Or, you’d have light bulb moments while driving and have to cross your fingers you’d remember your ideas when you got to your destination. There’s all sorts of excitement and creativity in business in those first stages and early years, like writing the business plan, raising money, fun branding work and, of course, spreading the word to loved ones and colleagues.
But what about years into it all? Do you stare at the clock during work hours, wishing the hours to pass faster? Do you find yourself not wanting to talk about your business, because you’re so tired of talking about it all this time? Is it possible there’s a seven-year itch in business, like there supposedly is in marriage? If your company and the work you do honestly bores you now, try the following before you start considering business exits.
Remember Your Why
At the beginning, something sparked your entrepreneurial passion. You might not have even been excited about your industry, but you were excited about finally making enough so your spouse could stay home with your young children. Or maybe the industry you’re in is the moon and stars to you, and you were craving the validation that comes with being the owner of your own business in that field.
Whatever it is, something mattered enough to you back then to fuel you through the obstacles of launching a business. So, do you still have that “why?” If so, is it still worth it to you? These might be hard questions, but they need to be answered. If your why has disappeared (or totally changed), then maybe you do need to think about other career choices. But if it’s still there, hold onto it – and fight for it. Create a visual reminder of it, so you can see it when you don’t feel like continuing. It just might get you through this rough patch. For example, I have my business vision, mission and values mounted next to my desk and see it every day.
Spend Time in Reflection
Of course, it’s not always as simple as rediscovering your why. If that doesn’t help, carve out some time where you can be truly alone with a pen, some paper and your thoughts. Try thinking through the following questions:
- How do I feel about my industry?
- How do I feel about my team members?
- When did I start feeling bored with it all?
- How do I feel about my products/services?
- Did anything change around that time?
- What am I hoping to achieve with this business? Am I close?
These are some questions to get your wheels turning, but they should be enough to get a conversation going in your head that needs to take place. Maybe you started a massage company, but have gotten to a point where you hate being tied down to appointment schedules and are tired of the physical nature of the work.
Or you might have been completely thrilled with your consulting business for the first five years, but then had a particularly difficult client who took all the joy out of it for you. There are any number of reasons you’re feeling uninspired, but figuring out what’s gotten you to this point is key.
Consider Making Changes
If you still love your industry, what you sell and the people you work with, it’s almost certainly worth sticking it out – even if you’re bored. This is especially true if your business is meeting your needs financially and helping you work toward some personal goal. If this sounds like you, think about creating a new product line or offering that gets you excited and out of your lull. You might just have been doing the same thing for so long, you’re not feeling challenged – so challenge yourself. Another idea that worked well for me is to join a networking group of like minded growth seeking peers or find a company that you would be of value and interested to help and apply to be on their board of advisors. By helping others work through their problems with peers or other entrepreneurs that alone will often reignite that fire that inspired you to launch your business.
By finding yourself disenchanted with your industry, or realizing you’re not getting where you thought you would by now, shake it up. Try delegating the tasks that bore you most to trusted team members. Take more time off. Bring on a partner, or make other staff changes that might be necessary to get to a better place. And yes, maybe move on completely. I’m all for doing whatever you can to keep your entrepreneurial passion alive, but if it’s not suiting you anymore, then moving on may be a viable option. You could start something new, or even get a job working for someone else; it doesn’t matter, as long as you feel energized again. You deserve it. Life is way too short to go too many days unhappy; however, you owe it to yourself, your family, your staff and your clients to figure out what is causing the issue(s) before making too many changes, especially if one option you are seriously considering is to move on from the current business
Have you ever gotten to a point where your own business bores you? How’d you get through? Reach out; I’d love to hear your story.
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