When Your Business Loses its Sparkle

I’m currently off having a wonderful time in Adelaide at the International Coach Federation (Australasia) Conference. Three days of being surrounded by like-minded Coaches, a luxurious hotel, good friends, good wine and great food. It’s a hard life, and I’m thinking of you all and wishing you were here too. Really.

Today’s post is brought to you by Tara Bulum of Business Block Busters, another Business Coach and Work at Home Mum whom I met through Business Mums Network.

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Help! the spark has gone out of my sparkling business

We’ve all heard about our weight plateauing when we’re on a diet but did you realise that your business can too? It’s like almost reaching your goal weight and being thrilled about it but still needing to do more.

It’s not that you have lost the passion for your business; but perhaps there is a little less motivation than you used to feel.

It happens to us all

Many people in business today are women who are juggling home, family and social lives as well as running a business. Often we set high expectations and get frustrated or overwhelmed by all there is to do. It’s not that we are being unrealistic, it’s that we don’t have time and/or the energy to see what is really happening in our businesses.

If your business is not really meeting your expectations or you haven’t had time to set any meaningful goals, then it’s time to take stock and call on expert assistance in the form of a business coach (Editor note: Tara and I are both Business Coaches, if you hadn’t already worked that out – contact one of us!). Many see this as a luxury for their business, but if you’ve never run a company before – and most of us haven’t – then just like having a good accountant and solicitor you need to have someone who can guide you objectively.

What? No business plan?

Recent research conducted on about 200 small businesses showed that less than 98% have a written business plan. Taking the time to work out what you want from the business, where you want it to go and how you are going to benefit now and in the future is important. None of us would ever dream of driving in a foreign country with out a road map or GPS. Think of your business as a foreign country and the business plan as your road map. Now think of the adventures you can have along the way.

The only thing that may stop you – and it happens to us all – is fear. We often get ourselves stuck because we are comfortable and not willing to change. Analysing your business can often address these fears.

A good Business Coach can guide you through writing a business plan and also help you to think about the road blocks, detours and dead ends you could encounter. As women we are much better at looking at the emotional side of business and often this is where many blockages to achieving success can be.

In reading the map and working out our travel route we create a strategy for getting from A to B. Similarly, business coaching provides the tools to create a strategy for getting our businesses travelling along the right route.

Getting the groove back

A business plan will help put that zing back into what you do by moving you out of your comfort zone. This is when greatness can begin and we can get that motivation back and new enthusiasm. Rather than being stuck at just above your goal weight, we are told to try new exercise methods – the same applies for your business, where new ways can lead to reaching that goal.

If you don’t jump out of bed in the morning brimming with optimism for the new working day ask yourself the following:

• How would I feel if my business did not exist anymore?

• Would I regret it in six months time?

• How would I feel if I could accomplish my wildest business dreams?

• Do I even know what these dreams are?

Often we have to change what we are doing and/or the way we are doing things to change our outcomes. Having some guidance and looking at business from emotional and physical points of view can help answer these questions and lead to a new spring in our steps.

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Tara Bulum from Business Block Busters has been in business for the last ten years and for the last three years has had multiple businesses. Her previous experience in many industries and various roles has led to the wholistic approach of Business Block Busters (Business Coaching and Mentoring, Business Development and Professional Training and Development). Business Block Busters provides encouragement and support to business owners so they can find and follow their mission, to achieve the business success they dream of and get to know themselves a lot better in the process. She can be contacted on 0416 060 752 (within Australia) or info@businessblockbusters.com.au