How to Fall Back in Love with Your Business

It’s the season of love, folks. Happy Valentine’s Day! But here at The Contract Shop®, we’re focusing on your love for your  business  today. Maybe you  launched your business  with passion and excitement that has, well…kind of waned since then. We have tips on how you can rekindle those lovey-dovey feelings for your biz.

Set aside thoughts of big romantic gestures, big romantic dinner plans, and big romantic bouquets of flowers. Whether you’re single, taken, or more of a Galentine’s Day fan, this blog post is for you.

Figure out what isn’t working

To fall back in love with your business, it helps to figure out why you’ve fallen  out of love  in the first place. Look at what you don’t like in your business and what’s no longer working for you.

Maybe you need to hire independent contractors  or employees so you don’t burn out. Maybe you hate the look of your website, which hasn’t evolved with your brand and biz. Maybe you want to finally get the “boring” parts of your business, like legal stuff and finances, in order.

You don’t have to approach this exercise calmly and rationally, either. Go with your gut! Jot down your immediate answers in a Google Doc or a pad of paper. Resist the urge to edit yourself. Just be honest. Honesty is paramount in any relationship, right?

Determine what you can outsource

Now that you have a big list of grievances, you’re ready to make some changes. Or at least, plans for changes.

Go through your list again and determine which tasks you can delegate or outsource, if it’s within your budget. For example, if you need help with operations or administrative tasks, look at hiring a  virtual assistant  part-time to start. If taxes give you a headache every year, it may be worth hiring a CPA to do them for you. 

Get creative if you have to work with a limited budget. If you can’t afford a complete  website rehaul,  consider hiring a designer to update some of your visuals, or a copywriter to tweak your brand voice. You can even makeover your most important web pages and leave the others for later. 

Pinpoint any changes to make

You’ve determined what you don’t like and what you can hand off to someone else. Anything left on your list still needs to get handled. What needs to change? How can you make things better?

Let’s say that  your boundaries  around your working hours have slowly disappeared with every new client you take on. You’re tired of answering emails from your phone at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night. You might write an email to send to your clients  restating and reinforcing  your boundaries — that you’ll respond within the next business day by text or email, for example.

If something can’t simply be outsourced or delegated, you’ll have to brainstorm your solutions. Say you want to spruce up your onboarding and record keeping process. Using templates — like  our lovely contract templates  that protect your booty — will help speed up your process and keep everything consistent with every client.

Rekindle your love for your biz

You’ve spent all this time thinking about what you don’t like and want to change with your business. But don’t forget about all the good stuff!

Reflect on why you launched your business in the first place. You might even check in with your mission statement or vision statement. It may need some edits or refreshes if your business has pivoted. 

Make a separate list of things you  love  about your business. What does success look like for you, whether it’s a small win or a big win? What do you love doing in your day-to-day life as a biz owner? Then, think of ways you can do what you love  more.  For example, hiring a virtual assistant would free up time for you to work 1:1 with clients, if that’s your jam.

It’s easy to fall into a love-hate relationship with your business. Remember that things don’t have to remain the same, and you  can  fix or improve what’s not working. All it takes is a little honest reflection and a willingness to find solutions. Focus on the good stuff when you feel like you’re in a rut. You might be surprised at those loving feelings that resurface.