Weathering The Storm Of Business Hardships

October 10, 2018

Nobody said running a business would be easy. There are very few people in this world who have not experienced some kind of hardship. And when those hard times come, we need to weather the storm, fight to survive and not give up.
What kind of hardships are we talking about? There are many, and they are often connected to our finances. We face lean times when the competition manages to get the better of us, or when we have made unwise spending decisions. Our customers can turn against us, and so can our employees. There will be times when we doubt our capacity to survive because the odds seem against us. The stress can take its toll, and we become tired and jaded. The storm has hit, and we and our business is shaken.
There is the temptation to let go because we don't feel equipped to cope. We regret the day we ever started out in business. Life is rocky, and we struggle to face the situation. But as we said, we mustn't give up. We must weather the storm, because there is always hope.
Here is guidance we think you will find useful.
Before any hardships hit, prepare for the worse. As you would opt for generator hire to prepare your business for a literal storm, put into practice those things that will help you when the figurative storm strikes. Set up an emergency fund, so you can cope with a financial downturn when it hits. Make friends in business, so you have somebody to turn to when you are struggling. Build up your team, so they don't desert a sinking ship. Have a disaster recovery plan in place, so you can cope when trouble rears its ugly head. Do all of these things in the early days, and you will be able to weather whatever storm befalls you.
When you are going through any kind of hardship, don't be held back by limited self-beliefs. You have made it thus far, so there's no reason why you won't be able to carry on, despite your setbacks. Draw on your inner resources; those talents you have already put into practice, and work hard to battle against the challenges that are facing you. It's about ‘knowing thyself,' as one famous philosopher once said, reflecting on your strengths to get you through. And if you find yourself weakening, look towards your support network, be they family, friends, colleagues, and other business people. Don't struggle alone; talk to others, seek advice, and act upon any words of wisdom that can get you through the hard times. And remember why you started your business in the first place. Think about the end game; those hopes and dreams you had when you started. Let that be your guiding light as you are battling the storms that rage around you.
And after the storm has faded, and life has returned to something approaching normality, reflect on what happened. Where did those hardships come from? Can you take steps to prevent them from happening again? What can you learn from the experience? Think, self-reflect, and then take actionable steps to strengthen yourself and your business going forward.
In business, you will face hardships. You would be a fool to think otherwise. But if you care about your business, and the people within, then you need to push forwards. Don't let anything stand in the way of the chances of you gaining success. It's about living or dying in business, but at the close of this article, we urge you to live, and not die. Fight and don't give up. Do whatever it takes, as you will become stronger if you do.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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