Hope, opportunities and possibilities - these are the lifeblood of the
entrepreneurial spirit. Yet now, with world events, economic forecasts, and the
reality of your own bottom-line your entrepreneurial spirit may be having
trouble responding. You may not feel the hope, see the opportunities or imagine
the possibilities yet they still exist. Here are ten tips for keeping your
entrepreneurial spirit strong during these challenging times.
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Reflect and reposition. Now is a perfect time to reflect on who you are and
what you are creating in this world. Does your business reflect your principles
and values? Are you working from the paradigms of the 'new economy' or sticking
to the old economy? Are you boldly creating your own reality or following
others? Reconnect with your passion and reposition your business accordingly.
Collaborate. To collaborate is to work in partnership with others. Who else is
doing work that is similar or complimentary to yours? Do they have a solid
reputation? How might collaboration be of benefit to everyone involved? Answer
these three basic questions and then invite your potential collaborators for a
coffee and explore the possibilities.
Reconnect with your customers, suppliers and employees. You do not operate in
a vacuum. Your customers, suppliers and employees are living this reality.
Reconnect with them. Now is a time for the human connection. Shake hands, make
eye contact, smile - be deliberate in your human interactions. Provide as much
of a sense of stability as possible.
Get to know the people in your neighborhood. It is amazing the variety and
scope of businesses that exists in your own neighborhood. Join your local
Chamber of Commerce, or a networking group and get to know your business
neighborhood. You never know - you might find the perfect partner for
collaboration.
Accept 100% responsibility for your survival. When you accept 100%
responsibility for your own survival you stop looking for excuses and you start
looking for solutions. You call upon your entrepreneurial spirit to be creative,
to find new and improved ways of doing business. Your desire for success must be
greater than the forces that would like to stand in your way. Roar like a lion.
Feel your determination. Move boldly forward with the courage of a warrior or
warrior princess and the wisdom of the ages.
Clean-up. Nothing helps us to see more clearly than a good clean-up. Clean-up
everything. Clean up your computer files, your computer programs, your
accounting, your calendar, your files, your inbox your physical space, dust the
lights, vacuum the dust bunnies, re-arrange the furniture. Get rid of anything
you haven't touched in three months. Clean, clean, clean.
Make a choice. You have a choice in how you react to the events that happen
every day. Remember the saying 'if life hands you lemons, make lemonade'. Choose
your vision, choose your success, choose hope, choose to see the opportunity,
choose to explore the possibility. Make a choice every moment of every day to
feel the courage and conviction of your entrepreneurial spirit.
Take the pressure off. When we are feeling threatened or pressured our
thinking is less clear and our actions less rationale. Look at consolidating
debts, or cutting back on your inventory orders, or sell unnecessary assets or
apply for a credit line when you don't need it. All of these will help to ease
the anxiety that usually lurks somewhere between the bottom-line and the cash
flow projections.
Become your own best compass. Read the media reports, watch the trends, listen
to the experts but always think for yourself. You have a gut instinct for what
works and doesn't work for you in your business. Pay equal attention to that
instinct as you do the experts. You are your own best compass and your
entrepreneurial spirit is a willing guide.
Read great books. There are great books that exist that can feed your
entrepreneurial spirit. Books that remind you of the hope, the opportunities and
the possibilities. Read these books first thing in the morning and last thing at
night so that you recharge your brain when it is most receptive to this kind of
information. My own book The Owner's Manual for Your Entrepreneurial Spirit is
available at www.learningbyphone.com
About the Author:
Anne-Marie Rennick
(mailto: amr@learningbyphone.com
) is passionate about igniting and
re-energizing your entrepreneurial spirit. Through her coaching, speaking
and writing she works with business men and women internationally to help
them achieve their goals, and find the freedom and lifestyle they crave. Her
latest book The Owner's Manual for Your Entrepreneurial Spirit is available
in both paperback and e-book versions at www.learningbyphone.com
or by calling 1-866-207-7857.
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