Surviving the Storm: 5 Key Ingredients for Building Resilience as a Business Owner

We could write a book on the challenges that business owners face and it isn’t just in the early days of setting up your business. Change, expansion and market pressures can all chip away at your energies. But, fear not, we have your back and will hold your hand (tightly if needed) through the grey days. Clouds blown away by the Streetwise HR team, leaving only sunny days ahead.

Ok, let’s be honest, it’s tough running your own business. It starts out as fun right? But all too quickly you can be knees deep in challenges, time and people pressures and with just little old you to sort it all out. Add to that, your family want more of you, you’ve got bills to pay and your mates think your ghosting them. Not great is it, especially when you most likely started your business to improve your work/life balance or quality of life in some way.

Sound familiar? Yep, we know, we have been there, we have helped so many other entrepreneurs and business owners through these crazy times, so we understand your pain. 

Deep breath, it gets easier, trust us; following a few simple, well trodden steps can fast track you through the low times and build your resilience, energies and get you thinking clearly.

Resilience….hhhm, we saw your eyebrows rise then at the word ‘resilience’ and we all know it’s a bit of a buzz word right now but guess what, it’s all around us as that’s what we all need more of!! Trouble is, too many talk of it as a single action but when you break it down into its component parts and focus in on them all, you can build a calmness, a reassuring cuddle, a new energy and a bit of a buzz. Want some of this? OK, let’s look at 5 key ingredients to building resilience; but like every receipe, you can’t skip any ingredients, you have to use them all to make it a delicious eat.

1. Acknowledge the situation: 

The first step to building resilience is to acknowledge the situation and understand the challenges that your business faces. Recognize that the current climate is tough (that damn pandemic, right?) and that it will take time and effort to overcome the difficulties. Write down each of the problems and use others to help you problem solve. Focus on each priority and delegate where you can share the load (and that includes delegating to us). We are here for you; trust us, we have picked up plenty of worn-out business owners and got them running on full steam again!

2. Maintain a positive outlook: 

Maintaining a positive outlook is crucial. Even in the face of difficult times, it's essential to remain optimistic and maintain a positive attitude. Struggling with your mood? Revisit old habits that looked after you in the past – maybe change of exercise habits, eliminate some of the bad stuff, add some relaxation techniques, walk, get out into nature and a good one for us, is to go for a walk on the beach. There’s something that resets us every time we see and feel the beach.

Still struggling to stay positive? Then you truly need to talk to another human being.

The old saying is ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ and we couldn’t agree more. Pick up the phone and share whatever it is that’s on your mind. We’ve got you!!

3. Invest in personal growth: 

Embracing personal growth is a great way to strengthen resilience. Take time to invest in your own development by learning new skills, reading books, listening to a podcast (one of our favourite learning tools) or try attending webinars or professional development courses. 

Sharpen your skills and abilities to adapt to any challenge that may arise. This is a step so many ignore as they believe the time should be spent on the business workload and ‘to-do’ lists that are longer than your arm but if you don’t look after you, who will? Oh, aside from us that is! 

Find a business mentor or confidante. Talk. Let go. Listen to other options. Learn from the experiences of others. Drop the mentality of ‘no one will understand’ or ‘but’ on any solutions. Trust us, it’s a rare thing to find a situation that is unique to one human being; in one form or another, we have all trodden similar paths. Find someone who can help you get down that path in the safest and quickest way. Go on, what are you waiting for?

4. Stay connected: 

Maintaining connections with your customers, employees, and business networks is vital, especially nowadays. Use technology to stay in touch with your team and keep your customers engaged. Love it or hate it, social media engagement is here to stay (and get faster and more diverse) so use it to your advantage. It can be a way to off load some pressures but also to give you early indications of market changes and the quicker you are aware of change, the sooner you can adapt to it.

Haven’t got enough of you to go around? Delegate, outsource, partner and share the load. So many businesses are in the ‘support’ services sectors now, and specifically aim to bear the load of things like newsletters, social media, marketing, phone answering and HR (of course!). Use the expertise of people and lighten your load.

5. Plan for the future: 

Remain focused on the future and start planning for your business’s 'new normal.' Understand how the pandemic and industry changes have affected you, your team, and your business. Re-evaluate your business model. Re-evaluate your marketing strategies and identify potential areas for growth. Talk to us about your vision and dreams for the future. We have a few tricks up our sleeves to help build that dream into something pretty special and right for you. Oh, and did we say, if we think you’re barking up the wrong tree, we will tell you. You can thank us when you realise we have saved you from a world of pain!!

Remember, you are never alone. It might feel like your business only has you to make it work and prospers but you have us just a phone call away; to listen, to guide, advise or maybe just be your shoulder to lean on.