Tips for Getting Over the Frustration Hump in Your New Online Buisness

Building a Successful Business is a Long Journey

I chatted with a man yesterday who is about a year into his small business, and he is frustrated because of his lack of sales and income.

I understand his frustration completely. When he started building his new online business he was full of hope and excitement and sure that it would be a success. A year later, he is frustrated, tired, and ready to quit.

He was not expecting to "get rich quick," but he wasn't prepared for doing it slowly either. Here are some tips for him, and any of you who may be experiencing what I call, "the new business frustration hump." This is the plateau many new business owners hit after their initial flurry of set-up and activity.

1- Remember, it takes most small businesses five years to really come into their own. You may say that you haven't fallen for those get rich quick stories, but if you are expecting riches in a year or two, you really have fallen for them. It takes time to build a business.

2- Go back to basics. Take another look at your business plan. Review your marketing strategies. See what you may have missed during the flurry of start up.

3- Get some training. There is so much online training available now that there is really no excuse for learning some of the skills you need to succeed. If yours is a new online business, there is no doubt that you have some additional skills you need to develop. Get to it!

4- Focus on income generating activity. If you have been following my blog or my website for a while now you have heard me say this over and over again. There is activity and there is income generating activity. You want at least 80% of your activity to be of the income generating variety. You should have developed an action plan for achieving your short and long term goals. Take a look at those plans and focus on those activities that are closest to generating money.

5- Stay active. This is especially important for people who are starting their business part-time. It is easy to think you are working on your business "all the time" when, in reality, you are not devoting much time to it at all. You should be doing something every day to grow your new business.

6- Log your activity. Try logging your activity for a month. the simple act of writing down what you have done for your business each day actually leads to an increase in activity, and it can help you get a clear picture of how you may need to refocus your activity.

7- Ask for help. Too many of us are afraid to ask for help because we think it will indicate that we don't know what we are doing or that we are somehow not as advanced as we should be. That's just not true. If you need help, ask for it! Send me and email or post a comment here if you'd like. I'd be glad to give you some personalized advice. That's what Your Small Business Guide is all about!

8-Remind yourself about why you started your own business. Remember when you first started and how excited you were? What were the reasons you wanted to do it? What were your goals then? What are your goals now? Write down your goals and post them around your house or office.

9- Be prepared for the long haul. This business of building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. The winners are those who stick with it with consistent effort.

Read more about this in my Hub on the Not-So-Secret Keys to Business Success.