Latest / Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs / 50: How to get unstuck in business

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50: How to get unstuck in business · Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 50, and in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about how to get unstuck in business.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: So let's jump right in and get started.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host Karen and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: With my award-winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know-how, along with actionable step-by-step strategies to help you accelerate your business's growth.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes, which drop every Wednesday.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you are a budding course creator, or maybe you're thinking about creating a course but you don't know where to start, or maybe you are in the process of creating your online course and you need a little help, then come and join me over at Facebook in my private group because this is where I'm going to be sharing lots of goodies and things that hopefully will help you to move forward.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: So to get there, all you need to do is go to www.facebook.com forward slash groups forward slash online courses with Karen and I look forward to seeing you in my group.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so let's jump into today's episode because today I'm talking about getting out of that rut that you might be finding yourself in.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: So I just wanted to start by asking you a question.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: Now, have you ever found yourself sitting at your computer looking at your screen but not knowing what to do next?
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe you've started writing an email or you're just about to write a blog or you're doing something, but you're literally just sitting there transfixed with so much going on in your head that you literally don't know what you're doing.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if the answer is yes, then trust me when I say that you are not alone.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: That feeling of feeling stuck to the point where you just do not know what to do next is not a grateful feeling.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's not a great experience to have.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Now, there can be many reasons why this happens.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: It could be due to a lack of clarity around goals, or maybe not having a solid vision in place, it could be down to limited resources.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe you've got so many things to do all of the time, but you don't have the resources in place to support you.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: It could be a fear of failure, so maybe if you're trying something for the first time, then that in itself can keep you stuck.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: Or it may be that there's change going on in your life, maybe in your personal life or in business, and it's hard to adapt to that change.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: It could be that maybe you're feeling overwhelmed because day-to-day responsibilities are just never-ending, so you just feel like there's just so much noise and you don't know necessarily where to put your attention, or it could be that you don't have an effective strategy for growth in your business, and so you don't know how to move forward, so you're feeling stuck.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I think first and foremost, it's important to really take the time to reflect on what might be making you feel this way, and then take the time to kind of work out how to move forward so that you can push past it.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I think this is something that every entrepreneur experiences at some point in their business journey because we have so much going on all of the time, and it can be really overwhelming.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: Too many thoughts running through our heads at any given moment, which can often lead to that feeling of feeling confused, overwhelmed, or simply burnt out, and that then leads to us feeling stuck in a rut, especially when there's change happening.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: I think in today's post-COVID world, ongoing changes seems to be the default setting, and something that we all we are constantly having to adapt to all of the time, and again, this can lead to us feeling stuck as well, and it can feel really challenging to sometimes know what to do for the best, especially if you are on your own in your business, because everything falls on your shoulders, you have to be everything to everyone all of the time, and this can be exhausting, and decision making can feel really heavy and hard.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I know this is something that I'm personally going through at the moment because I've got so much on my plate, not only in my business, but personally as well.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: My husband and I we're trying to sell a flat, and it is so stressful.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: We sold the flat back in December, put it on the market, and the flat went straight away.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Happy days.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Got to end of March, and we started to have problems.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: The buyer's uh mortgage lender was starting to ask for things that weren't normal in a sense, and um because our lender, um our buyer had a really good mortgage rate, I think the lender was essentially making it challenging for them to buy the property, which then led to the sale of the property falling through.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: So that happened early April, and then we changed agents, and then we've now got the flat back on the market.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: But in that time, between December and April, the the market has um shifted and it's slowed down, and of course, prices have fallen as well.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: So this is something that we're now finding that we're having to navigate through, and I think managing this alongside everything else is at the moment just making me feel like I am literally walking through treacle.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: Everything seems to be so challenging, and my head at times feels like it's going to explode, which of course then makes it really difficult to stay on track and to stay focused.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: So I know firsthand what feeling stuck feels like, and when it happens, it's not pleasant at all.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: However, there are things that we can do to push past this, and so in today's episode, I wanted to share five tips on how you can get unstuck in your business so that you can start to move yourself forward.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so my first tip is all about reconnecting to your vision.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you should have a vision for yourself.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: This is your why.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Why are you in business?
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: Why are you running a business?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: What are you looking to achieve?
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: What does that look like for you?
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: What does it look like for your business?
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: What does it look like for your family and the life that you want to create for yourself?
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: So having your vision in place is going to be what connects you to your goals.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: So if you haven't done so, I really do encourage you to really get clear on what that vision looks like so that you can create goals that really align to it that's going to get you there.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: And if you need help doing that, then I have a planner, it's the ultimate brand strategy planner that I sell, and this walks you through how to create a vision for your business.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: This planner will help you to get really clear on what that looks like.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: So if this is something that you're interested in, I will put the link in the show notes.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: But reconnect or connect to your vision because that's going to really help you.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now, having said that, once you have your vision in place, you then need to identify your core goals.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: What do you need to achieve in your business to achieve your vision?
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: So get really clear on what they look like, and then once you know what your goals are, identify distractions.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, these are the things that are going to stop you from achieving your goals that's going to divert your attention away from focusing on the things that's going to move the needle in your business.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now, these could be external factors like social media, it could be your friends or your family, or it could be internal factors like procrastination, perfectionism, fear, or even self-doubt.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: So identify what those distractions are and then create a plan to manage them because you don't want things getting in your way, you want to make sure that you're setting yourself up for success in the best way possible, and so you need to create something that's going to move you forward, that's going to move you towards your goals so that you can bring the vision that you have for your business or your life to life.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I want you to identify what those distractions are and then create a plan to eliminate them.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so my second tip is about tracking your progress because knowing what progress you're making in your business is going to help you to stay on track and keep you motivated.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: So you've you know what your goals are because you know your vision.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's about really staying focused to achieve them, and the way you're going to do that is by tracking your progress.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: So you need to set specific and measurable milestones that break down your goals into smaller steps that are more achievable.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: Now, these steps are going to be the steps that you can then measure.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: So you need to then keep track of what your progress is and write down any achievements that you achieve, any setbacks that you experience, and any challenges that you encounter.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: So just by doing that, it's going to help you to really stay on track and keep you focused.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: And then it's about analysing your progress.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: So reflecting on how far you've come and the obstacles that you've encountered and how you've pushed past them, and also understanding and recognizing what you've learned along the way, because we achieve so much when we're running a business because we we're having to wear so many hats.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: So you have to be the marketer, you have to be the salesperson, you have to be the accountant and the bookkeeper and all these other roles that play a role in running a business.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: But by doing so, you're learning new stuff all of the time.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: But when you're busy in your business doing all of these things, you're not recognizing just how far you've come and what you're learning.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: So it's really important to reflect on what those things are so that when you have those moments where you feel like you're not achieving, you can simply just look at what you've written down to know exactly how far you've come, and then celebrate the successes that you've achieved and give yourself credit for those accomplishments that you've made happen, no matter how small they are.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: Even if you have gained 10 new followers online, it really doesn't matter what that goal is or what that achievement is.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: The fact that you've got those 10 new followers is something to celebrate.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you celebrate your achievements as well.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: And then if you're not achieving progress for whatever reason, then just by recognizing what progress means to you, you'll be able to see whether or not you are making progress.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're not, then you just need to adjust your approach, which you can do at any time.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, if you're on a social media platform and you're posting content and you're not getting the results that you hoped, then maybe it may it might be that you're not on the right platform.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: So then it's just about analysing what's going on and then recognizing what you can do to improve those results.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: So it might be that you Instagram's not your platform, but maybe Pinterest is.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: So by adjusting how you do what you do, it will help you to become unstuck and move forward.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: So by regularly assessing your progress, you can identify areas where you need to improve and make changes to get you back on track towards achieving your goals.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so tip number three is about connecting with others because it can be really helpful to get an outsider's perspective on your business.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: So reach out to someone you trust.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: It could be a mentor, an advisor, it could be another business owner, it could be a colleague, it could be a friend.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: Reach out to someone and have a chat about what is happening in your business because they may be able to offer you fresh insights and solutions.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: So be really clear on what you think the problem might be, and then don't be afraid to ask advice from somebody that you trust.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you are if you're reaching out to a mentor or another business owner, it might be because of their experience or their skills or their area of expertise, and that in itself can be powerful enough to move whatever obstacle is in your way.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: Now, we are social animals, we like to be connected with other humans, and I think lockdown proved that.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: I think one of the problems when COVID hit was the fact that we were locked down and we weren't able to connect with other people in the way that we were used to, and I think there were times where this became detrimental to people's mental health because we need people around us to feel connected because connection as humans is important.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the problem about running a business is that you probably are finding that you're spending a large proportion of time on your own, either sitting at your desk in front of your computer, not feeling connected with others, even with online networking.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: If you're somebody that networks online, there may be that sense of feeling disconnected, and so I think it's really important to go and find connection where it's going to help you.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm all for the digital world, I think it offers immense opportunity that can really help our businesses to grow.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: But the problem is it can also make us feel disconnected.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: So by reaching out to somebody that you trust that you know will have your back and give you the right advice to support you, is going to be instrumental in helping you feel reconnected and removing those challenges that you're currently facing.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure that you reach out to somebody that you feel can really help and support you.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now be open-minded when receiving advice because sometimes we think that we have all the answers because we eat, sleep, breathe the thing that we do.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: But the problem with this is that we can be very narrow on our approach because we're only seeing it from one perspective.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: So be open-minded to somebody else's advice because it may be really valuable hearing a different perspective, and that different perspective might be the thing that just helps you to push past whatever is stopping you from moving forward.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: So my tip four is about self-care.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, burnout in business, it can be a really overwhelming experience that can leave us feeling depleted, exhausted, and unmotivated.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: And we really do not want that to be the case when we're running our business.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: So we need to make sure that we are doing what we can to look after ourselves and to avoid burnout.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, first and foremost, this is about taking regular breaks through the day.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: So get yourself away from the screen, go for a walk and just get yourself away from your computer.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: It is all too tempting when you're caught up in doing something, especially if you love the thing that you do, to just stay transfixed at a screen.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: But it's not healthy and it can lead to mental exhaustion.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: So take the time to go for a walk or to have regular breaks where you're getting that break from your screen.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: Also, take care of your physical health.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: So it's about eating well, drinking plenty of water, making sure that you get enough sleep and taking time out to exercise on a regular basis.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: Think about doing things like meditation or yoga or go and enjoy a relaxing bath at the end of the day.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: So find the thing that you enjoy that is going to support you because if you're at your at it all the time in your business, you're just going to lead to that place of burnout, and it is not fun.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: I also want you to think about setting boundaries as well.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: So, what I mean by this is learn to say no and prioritize your own needs by setting boundaries and knowing what it is you will and won't accept, then you're not going to be overcommitting yourself because burnout occurs when you're overcommitted.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: So learn to say no as well and put your own needs forward because you cannot run a successful business if you're not taking care of yourself first.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then my fifth foot and final tip is about experimenting and trying new things.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: You need to be able to identify areas in your business that need improvement because sometimes that can lead to feeling stuck when we know that something's not quite working the way we want it to work, but we don't know why.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: So taking some time out and looking in on your business and going through everything, you'll find areas that may need improvement, but you're not gonna know that unless you take that time to To explore now, once you identify what needs improving, you can then carry out the necessary research to make that improvement.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: So it might be that your marketing isn't working, maybe the platform that you're on isn't the right platform for you.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now you're not going to know that unless you dig into what you're doing, your metrics, and what you're generating from your activity.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: Now, just spending the time digging into it, you can see whether or not that's working.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: And if it's not working, then you can put a plan in place to improve it.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now it does start with carrying out research, but then once you've got that research and you know what your next step is, you can then create a strategic plan that's going to help you implement the idea that you have for improvement.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_00: Now, once you have that plan, you can then test your ideas.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, you're on Instagram, the activity that you've been doing is not working, it's not serving you, you're not getting the results that you you desire.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: But through research, you recognize that your audience are on Pinterest.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: So then you need to develop a strategic plan so that you can start building your presence on Pinterest.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now, once you know that, you can start testing out ideas, testing out pins, testing out things that are going to drive traffic to your website, drive traffic to wherever you want to send your traffic, and then you can start to monitor that progress.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: Now, just by doing something as simple as that can help you to get unstuck.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: Now, of course, I've used the example of social media, but that can be adopted to anything in your business.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: So it might be that you're on Facebook and that's not working for you, or maybe you're attending a networking event, but you're starting to feel as though that networking event is just not working for you.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: So again, carry out research, find out what other networking events are out there, and then create a strategic plan and go and test it.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: Just by doing these necessary steps, it's going to get you out of your rut.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: Anything in business carries a level of risk.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: There's no avoiding that.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_00: You're running a business, a business is a the business of business is risky in itself.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: But by trying out new things, by experimenting with new ways, it can lead to significant rewards and growth opportunities for your business.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are feeling stuck, then try some new things.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: Have a look at what's not working, and then put a plan in place for something new, and that will help you to move forward.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now, as I said, getting stuck in business is a common experience.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_00: However, there are so many ways in which you can become unstuck.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_00: I've just given you five today.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: So just to recap on what those five are number one, reconnect to your vision.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_00: The vision you have for your business will set the precedence on how your business will move forward.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, I want you to monitor your progress.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: Identify what progress means to you and monitor it.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_00: Put some little milestones in place and keep track of your progress.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, connect with other people.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: Reach out to a mentor, a business coach, another entrepreneur, a friend.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: It really doesn't matter, but reach out to somebody that you trust that you can talk things through with.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: Number four, practice self-care.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: Take time out for you because you need to look after yourself.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not functioning in all at all cylinders, your business will suffer.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: So take time out for yourself and look after yourself.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: Practice self-care.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_00: And number five, I want you to experiment and try something new.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_00: Have a look in your business, measure what is working, what is not working, and then I want you to put a plan on how to resolve what those things that are not working, and you'll be able to move forward by trying new things.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_00: That will help you to get unstuck and to move forward.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now I know feeling stuck in business is challenging.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_00: I know this first hand.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: However, it's really important that we stay motivated because motivation is the key to staying focused on our goals.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: Find ways to stay inspired, whether it's through using affirmations, inspirational quotes, or just by surrounding yourself with supportive people who understand what it is you're trying to do and what you're going through.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: But most importantly, I want you to remember that feeling stuck in business is common.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: The key is to stay positive, to take action, and to keep moving forward.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you found this episode of value, and of course, please feel free to share it with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling inspired and would like to know more about getting started with creating an online digital course, then why not download my free ebook, 10 Steps to Digital Course Success, by visiting my website www.pink-lemondigital.com.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_00: I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great week.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the digitally she does it show.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: So why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode?
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time.