Hope, opportunities and possibilities - these are the lifeblood
of the entrepreneurial spirit. Yet now, with world events,
economic forecasts, and the reality of your own bottom-line
your entrepreneurial spirit may be having trouble responding.
You may not feel the hope, see the opportunities or imagine
the possibilities yet they still exist. Here are ten tips for
keeping your entrepreneurial spirit strong during these
challenging times.
Reflect and reposition
Now is a perfect time to reflect on who you are and what you
are creating in this world. Does your business reflect your
principles and values? Are you working from the paradigms of
the 'new economy' or sticking to the old economy? Are you
boldly creating your own reality or following others? Reconnect
with your passion and reposition your business accordingly.
Collaborate
To collaborate is to work in partnership with others. Who else
is doing work that is similar or complimentary to yours? Do
they have a solid reputation? How might collaboration be of
benefit to everyone involved? Answer these three basic
questions and then invite your potential collaborators for a
coffee and explore the possibilities.
Reconnect with your customers, suppliers and employees
You do not operate in a vacuum. Your customers, suppliers and
employees are living this reality. Reconnect with them. Now
is a time for the human connection. Shake hands, make eye
contact, smile - be deliberate in your human interactions.
Provide as much of a sense of stability as possible.
Get to know the people in your neighborhood
It is amazing the variety and scope of businesses that exists
in your own neighborhood. Join your local Chamber of Commerce,
or a networking group and get to know your business neighborhood.
You never know - you might find the perfect partner for
collaboration.
Accept 100% responsibility for your survival
When you accept 100% responsibility for your own survival you
stop looking for excuses and you start looking for solutions.
You call upon your entrepreneurial spirit to be creative, to
find new and improved ways of doing business. Your desire for
success must be greater than the forces that would like to
stand in your way. Roar like a lion. Feel your determination.
Move boldly forward with the courage of a warrior or warrior
princess and the wisdom of the ages.
Clean-up
Nothing helps us to see more clearly than a good clean-up.
Clean-up everything. Clean up your computer files, your
computer programs, your accounting, your calendar, your files,
your inbox your physical space, dust the lights, vacuum the
dust bunnies, re-arrange the furniture. Get rid of anything
you haven't touched in three months. Clean, clean, clean.
Make a choice
You have a choice in how you react to the events that happen
every day. Remember the saying 'if life hands you lemons, make
lemonade'. Choose your vision, choose your success, choose hope,
choose to see the opportunity, choose to explore the possibility.
Make a choice every moment of every day to feel the courage and
conviction of your entrepreneurial spirit.
Take the pressure off
When we are feeling threatened or pressured our thinking is less
clear and our actions less rationale. Look at consolidating debts,
or cutting back on your inventory orders, or sell unnecessary
assets or apply for a credit line when you don't need it. All
of these will help to ease the anxiety that usually lurks
somewhere between the bottom-line and the cash flow projections.
Become your own best compass
Read the media reports, watch the trends, listen to the experts
but always think for yourself. You have a gut instinct for
what works and doesn't work for you in your business. Pay
equal attention to that instinct as you do the experts. You
are your own best compass and your entrepreneurial spirit is a
willing guide.
Read great books
There are great books that exist that can feed your
entrepreneurial spirit. Books that remind you of the hope,
the opportunities and the possibilities. Read these books
first thing in the morning and last thing at night so that
you recharge your brain when it is most receptive to this kind
of information.
About the Author
Anne-Marie Rennick (mailto: amr@learningbyphone.com) is
passionate about igniting and re-energizing your
entrepreneurial spirit. Her latest book The Owner's Manual for
Your Entrepreneurial Spirit is available in both paperback and
e-book versions at www.learningbyphone.com or by
calling 1-866-207-7857.