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When you’re starting up a business, you’re going to have so much on your plate. You’re trying to get this business to take off, or at least even be established enough to where it can function; you probably have to work a regular job for income, you have relationships you need to put energy towards, and of course, there’s self-care. Chances are, you might even be dealing with a lot more, but in the end, you’re going to have so much on your plate. You probably feel like the entire world is right on your shoulder; it’s far from nice, right?
There’s only so much you can do and only so much that you’re able to control. But one thing you have some control over is your actions, such as staying focused on starting up this business. There isn’t exactly an easy way of starting a business when you have so many other responsibilities. But sometimes, all you really can do is stay focused. So, here are some ways to help you stay better focused when starting up your brand-new business.
Start Off By Focusing On What Your Goals Are
Usually, when someone starts a business, or at least is making an attempt, this is what comes to their mind, as it’s one of the first things they’ll try to take care of. It’s important to set a series of goals for yourself and your business. These goals should be both long and short-term. It’s also a good idea to have specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. For example, you could try to achieve a goal such as increasing customer loyalty by a certain percentage or improving sales by a certain amount within the next six months. These types of attainable goals will give you something to shoot for and will help keep you on track. Sometimes, just getting some pen and paper and writing these down and truly reflecting is going to help you figure out what you need to focus on.
Focus On One Task At A Time
While you can have coffee or even K-Dip to help you focus, what matters most is breaking everything down into bite-sized chunks. That way, you can keep your eye on the prize. Focusing on one task at a time is a powerful strategy to increase productivity and decrease stress. Multitasking can be a real killer of productivity as each interruption (like an email notification), so you can count on this wasting valuable time and energy refocusing your brain.
You may even want to see which tasks are the most important and try to knock those out first. Having realistic deadlines can also be an effective motivational tool for staying concentrated on work. Achieving a goal by a certain date will give you a sense of accomplishment and reward which can help keep your motivation levels up.
Avoid Wearing Too Many Hats
Nearly all business owners do that, and it’s entirely natural. You may not even be able to have the funds to hire someone, maybe not even a freelancer yet. But the issue still remains that you’re putting too much on your plate at once. The small business owner is the only person who truly knows their business. On any given day, their business card might read CEO or principal, but it could also say customer service associate, marketing manager, and technology director.
It’s all part of the job, but there are times when too many hats become a burden rather than an opportunity. So, as you see, it’s normal, and you don’t always need to hire others, even though it’s still recommended. However, what you can at least do is try not to put in so much work. You can even utilize AI for things such as graphic design or even a chatbot for customer service. Don’t let everything weigh on you.
Try To Not Get Sidetracked
As a small business owner, you must be laser-focused on achieving your goals. But, with so many tasks and distractions fighting for your attention, it can feel like focusing is impossible. It’s especially apparent when you’re running a business; it becomes the center of your life, so of course, you’re going to want to look into other things. However, it’s best to at least try to utilize different ways of keeping focus, such as the Pomodoro technique. This is a method that involves working in 25-minute sessions, taking a short break, and then repeating. This helps you to build up your focus over time. Overall just try to do what’s best for you.
