There’s nothing quite like that rush you get when you decide you’re ready to start your own business. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or the founder of a large company, those early stages of diving into your work are absolutely thrilling. There’s that initial mixture of exhilaration, fear, and dreamy ideas of what the future might hold. Actually, it’s a lot like falling in love.
And you know what, that’s probably a good thing. You should get butterflies in your stomach at the very thought of chasing your dreams. That’s encouraged, actually. But just like every great romance, at a certain point in time, those butterflies start to get a little less fluttery. As you get down to the nitty-gritty work or you simply sink into a rhythm, it’s common for the passion you once had for your business to fade.
Inspirational slumps in business can be rough, and in some cases, a loss of desire can be an absolute dream-crusher. But if you are committed to sticking with your biz through thick and thin, then I have some good news for you: it’s totally possible to rekindle the excitement you once had. In fact, there are tons of things you can do this very day to help you reenergize your business. Not only will you feel an increase in the joy with which you approach your work, but your clients, your audience, and likely your income will increase, too.
So are you ready to fall back in love? Of course you are, you hopeless romantic! Here are twenty (twenty!) ideas for things that you can do today – not tomorrow or next week, but TODAY – to reignite your passion for your business.
1. Put something on the calendar
A meeting, an event, a deadline – whatever it is, just make sure you have something in the near and far future that you can look forward to.
2. Reach out to new contacts
Is there a business babe out there who you totally admire? Have you been dreaming of collaborating with a brand that you just adore? Well, then what are you waiting for? Today’s the day to send out that introductory email! In fact, send out ten of them (to different people, obviously).
Related: How to Work With Brands As a Blogger
3. Reconnect with old contacts
Whether it’s someone you met at an event, a former client, some legit designer who used to be your freshman roommate, you likely already know someone who can take your business to new and exciting places. If it’s been a while, maybe it’s time to take one of these geniuses out for a work lunch!
4. Sign up for a conference
Meeting others in your line of work face-to-face is a wonderful thing, and conferences are easily the best way to meet some of the top folks in your field.
Related: 6 Things to Do Before Heading to a Blog Conference
5. Find a meetup
If you’re looking for a way to connect with creatives in your area, a meetup is definitely the way to go. Meetup.com is a great place to search for niche groups who love what you love — you may even be able to find a core group of biz buddies that you can bounce ideas off of each week.
Fun fact? Melyssa started a (currently inactive) blogger meetup on Meetup.com over a year ago, which is how she met two of her favorite blogging buds — one of which is now a contributor for TNC! You never know who you’ll meet.
6. Start planning a creative event
Sure, you could go to a meetup….OR you could plan your very own! Or, if not a meetup, then maybe a luncheon/art show/workshop/craft night etc. Whatever your specialty is, start planning an event out of it. Not only will it be fun for you to plan something new, but you’ll get to meet others who have similar interests. Community is so important for energizing your life and biz.
Related: 8 Step-by-Step Tips for Hosting a Creative Meetup
7. Actually make phone calls
So much of business is handled over email, which unfortunately means that you probably spend a lot of time waiting on responses. If you’re looking for a quick answer, hop on a phone call. You’ll be surprised how much more productive this will make you.
8. Schedule time with a mentor
Is there someone out there who you trust to show you the ropes? Reach out to them today and schedule a time to meet up, strategize, and work through some of your current roadblocks. Sometimes, just having something there to talk to can be the best medicine.
9. Craft a business plan
Map out a big, fat goal (ex: gain 1,000 followers, make six figures, get published, etc.) and then think through every single thing you need to do to make that happen. Actionable steps will change your life.
10. Take an inventory of your last 6 months
Sometimes to move forward, it’s important to look back. Think through your last 6 months. What worked and what didn’t? Use that to inform your business plan (and likely, many of your future decisions!).
11. Brainstorm like crazy
All of those ideas you’ve got rattling around in your brain? Write them down. Even the weird ones. Give yourself the freedom to have a no-limits brainstorming session. You could either jot them down using pen and paper, or create a running list of ideas in a Google Doc. Just get them down!
12. Set aside time for research
Read a book, scour a blog, download a podcast. Take time to find out how others have hit the big time, and make a plan to get there yourself.
Related: 5 Actionable Steps Toward Making Your Dreams a Reality
13. Invest in something that will help grow your business
That thing you’ve been needing: just get it. Not only does investing in your business give you the chance to up-level some area of your work, but it also begins to change your mindset about how you see your biz. If you invest in something, its value often subconsciously goes up, meaning you’re more likely to invest more of your time and love into it, too.
Related: My Favorite Tools for Blogging — Awesome Plugins, Programs, and Hosting
14. Organize
That crowded inbox, that messy workspace, that drawer full of papers you call a filing system – these things are all making your job harder than it needs to be. Clean your mind by cleaning your space.
Related: How to Get Shit Done Even When You’re Totally Unmotivated
15. Spruce up your website
There are so many actionable things you could do — TODAY — to make your website an even better home to your awesome content. Clean up your sidebar. Work on your branding. Make it even more clear what you want your visitors to do so that they take the actions you want them to take (such as adding a “start here” button, which leads to your services). Look at your website to see if there’s anything you can fix up or change, and get to work.
Now, you may need to hire someone for this changes, but many of them can either be done yourself, or you can purchase a template that solves your problems for you. Either way? Do it.
16. Sign up for a class/workshop
There is nothing more invigorating than learning from the pros. Sure, there’s free information you can find on Google, but how can you expect to truly up-level your business if you’re reading all the same, free info that everyone else is? Registering for a class or workshop is a great way to learn from someone who knows how to get you where you want to be.
And, just a heads up, Melyssa is hosting an amazing eCourse, Pinfinite Growth, which is designed to help you grow your website’s traffic, solidify your brand, and bring you more of the right people (who will love your blog and buy your products). You can register here.
17. Host a promotion or create a freebie
Offer your audience something (a printable, desktop art, a product, etc.) at a reduced rate, or even better, give it away for free! It’s a great way to give folks a taste of what you have to offer. Plus, offering freebies within your blog posts can also be a stellar way to attract more subscribers. These freebies are usually called “content upgrades” and you can learn more about why they’re awesome here.
18. Survey your audience
Having trouble knowing what your audience wants, or even, who they are? Ask them! Survey Monkey allows you to create personalized surveys that you can use to better connect with your followers.
Surveying your audience is also a great way to gauge interest in something you’re hoping to create — such as a program or product. We also recommend doing a yearly audience survey to see how your audience changes each year. That way, you can be sure that you’re creating content that is relevant and interesting to your people.
19. Be a social media butterfly
You know how important it is, but if you’re not in the habit of it, social media can fall by the wayside. Take some time today to be intentional with it. Tweet, post, like, fav – just be social! This also means connecting with others in your field through social media. Social media is the perfect outlet to start a connection with someone else, which can later develop into a friendship or collaboration.
Related: 5 Useful Programs for Scheduling Social Media
20. Lastly, and most obviously, BLOG
I can’t think of a single business that wouldn’t benefit from the practice of blogging. Your blog reminds your audience that you’re not only an expert but you’re also an actual human being.
Also, blogging is GREAT for SEO purposes. If you only have four static pages on your website, you are almost definitely lowering your chances of being found on a search engine. Blogging keeps your site active, adds more content for search engines to crawl, and will help your SEO. Remember: every day is a good day for blogging.
