As with any long term relationship, business owners need to put in effort to keep the sparks flying in the relationship with their business. With tough economic conditions affecting sales and profitability across many industries, many small business owners are feeling the passion for their business is fading away with time.
So, when the going gets tough, and the tough isn’t going anywhere, how can you put a little passion back in your business? According to Hairhouse Warehouse franchisee, Susie Minski, reigniting the passion starts with delegation.
Here are her other tips for keeping the flame alive and burning:
1. Delegate
Feeling overwhelmed and struggling to maintain a work/life balance, Minski felt the passion for her business beginning to fade.
“I realised that it was impossible for me to do everything, I couldn’t have my finger on the pulse of every minute detail. I began to delegate non-essential tasks to my managers and stopped trying to micromanage everything,” she said.
Empowering staff with responsibility gave her the opportunity to move from working in the business to working on the business.
2. Take time out
Taking time out to plan and look forward to the future is a great way to build excitement about the future direction of your business.
“I was able to think clearer when I wasn’t in the midst of it all. Giving myself space to think about the future direction of my business gave me the chance to come up with new and exciting ideas,” Minski said.
3. Surround yourself with passionate people
With the number of hours spent at the office these days, creating a happy work environment is extremely important to maintain a happy work/life balance.
“It’s no secret that passion and excitement are contagious so surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals is the best way to feel inspired long after the honeymoon period is over. Finding passionate and reliable staff for your business is paramount,” she said
“Becoming part of a business network is also a great idea as you can exchange ideas and tips. It will also allow you to benchmark your business and find out what you could be doing differently and how you could improve.”
4. Invest in your staff
When you have a great team around you it is important to invest in them as individuals to help grow their prospects professionally. Most importantly, business owners need to equip their staff with all of the tools necessary for success. This means investing in relevant and meaningful training.
Minski found that providing accredited training, empowered staff members with responsibility and made them feel like they too played a key role in the business.
“People grow when you empower them with responsibility and provide them with the tools needed to achieve the challenges you set. It’s important to invest in training your staff as it also ignites their passion and fires them up to enjoy work,” she said.
