Sarah Lakhani Consulting

Helping entrepreneurs build businesses with clarity and ease through strategic business design

Personal Effectiveness

Three Common Obstacles to Business Success

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You’re here because you have big dreams.  Am I right?  There is a business you either want to start or want to grow.  But sometimes, it just seems so hard.  I’ve been through it, I’ve seen it happen with my clients.  These are the three common obstacles to business success.  And they’re definitely not what you think they are.  

Now before I drive into these three things, I just want to point out that they are not in any particular order.  They’re not listed in order of largest to smallest or smallest to largest.  The obstacles affect people in different ways.  And these are dependent on you, your personality, skills, experience and your individual business.  Ready?  Let’s dive in. 

Obstacle #1 –  Not know where to start or what to do

This is definitely very common among entrepreneurs and small business owners that are in the early phases of their business – either still thinking about it or having just started out.  Of course, it’s also quite expected.  Starting a business can be daunting, and knowing what needs to be done isn’t something any of us are born with.  

But this isn’t an issue reserved only for those starting a business.  Many of my clients already have businesses.  They need help figuring out their next move – which is mostly around how to grow, expand, launch in a new market and get more customers.  

So not knowing where to start or what to do can be an obstacle for you at any stage of your business lifecycle.  And when this happens, people tend to fall into the trap of getting overwhelmed…. and then paralyzed.  

Sometimes, when you don’t know where to start, it feels like looking up at a huge rocky mountain that you need to get to the top of.  Or worse yet, a deep dark hole that you need to jump into.  And then, if and when you start looking into how to do the thing you need to do, whether that’s start your business or scale it, you get hit with information overload.  And that is when the overwhelm kicks in.  And then the paralysis as you look at all the different pieces of advice and “pathways” and courses and programs and you just can’t be sure which one is the “right” one.  

Let me fill you in on a little secret.  There is a reason people hire coaches, take courses, get mentors and join programs.  It’s so that they only follow ONE path.  Because the truth is, there are many paths to success.  In fact, if you keep working towards your goal, you’ll get there.  But what you don’t want is to be jumping from one path to another.  Because then, you’re not really on any path, are you?  

“There are many paths to success”

But there’s also the overwhelm because of all the questions racing around in your head.  So maybe you haven’t started your research, maybe it’s not even information overload.  It could be questions overload – questions that you have and for which you have no answers (yet!).  

So whether you’re overwhelmed with all the information you collected, or you’re at a loss because you haven’t started yet and you’re just not sure where to start, rest assured that this is a common obstacle that pretty much all business owners face at some point in their businesses.  

Obstacle #2: Lacking confidence

The second obstacle that business owners face is having to put themselves “out there” in order to start or scale their businesses.  And this can be very uncomfortable for many people.   I have personally seen that even those with incredible skills and who are mind-blowing at what they do often struggle with this.  And on some level, it comes down to confidence.    

Set’s look at what happens when you lack the confidence needed to move your business forward.  When you lack the confidence you need as a business owner, you end up playing small.  Your subconscious kicks in and the steps you take across product/service development, marketing, sales and anything else in your business are such that they are aligned to the level of confidence you have.  Or to the level of visibility you think you deserve to be at.  So when that level is low, your outward activities will be smaller than if you were truly feeling confident. 

The good news (yes there’s good news!) is that you can easily overcome this with a good cheerleader (or cheerleading squad) in your corner.  You can try these options, which are 100% free: find an accountability partner, create an accountability group or put together a mastermind of like-minded people.  Use your person or your group to keep each other motivated, accountable and moving forward.  Ask questions, offer perspectives and explore ideas together.  You’re going to get an output that is equal to the effort you and others put into the group.  So make it worth everyone’s time and give it your all.  

Of course, you can always join a program, hire a coach or find a mentor.  The truth is, you will naturally be more inclined to put effort into something that you’re paying for.  But more than that, you’re more inclined to put effort into something you believe in.  Something that makes you feel good.  Something that you truly and genuinely enjoy.  So if you are going to hire a coach or a mentor, or if you’re going to join a program, make sure it’s with someone who has a positive effect on you.  Someone who motivates you.  Someone who pushes you to be the best version of you that you can possibly be.  

Obstacle #3 – Having only one perspective

And that brings us to the third obstacle.  Being just one.  Just one person with just one perspective.  The best ideas come from exploring, dissecting and combining other ideas.  And that is very difficult to do when you’re a solopreneur.  

So yes, joining a group like the ones I talked about in the previous section can help you with this obstacle, too.  But there’s also some inner work that needs to be considered.  

Often, as business owners, as people building our own businesses, we tend to think we know best.  It is, after all, our own business that we’re building.  These are our thoughts, our dreams, our hard work.  But I have found that taking in other people’s perspectives, considering them, and then objectively (not emotionally!) deciding whether they could work for me and my business has always taken me up a notch.  It’s always given me something more, something better, something stronger and more powerful to create and provide my clients. 

So even if you are part of an accountability group, a mastermind, or if you have a coach or are part of a program, stay open to other perspectives.  You don’t ever have to change your goal, but the path to get you there can be lined with opportunities you had never thought of.  And it’s those opportunities that could help you hit your mini-goals, your milestones and open up new doors for you along your path.  

Do any of these obstacles resonate with you?

So you have a dream.  There is a business you either want to start or want to grow.  Now that you’re aware of these three common obstacles to business success, what will you do differently?  

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My Secret Formula to Create a Business you Love

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To create a business you love, make it as reflective of you as possible.  Why?  So that you’ll never feel like you have to do or be someone or something different in your business.  The path to this type of business is through designing it so that it maximizes the activities you love doing and attracts the customers you love working with.  This requires that you learn and embody what is authentically you.  Spend time figuring out every little part of you and your personality and showcase it so that you have fun in your business and attract like-minded people. 

Your business is a reflection of your interests, and is built on your likes, skills, talents and very importantly, your personality.  So whether you have a product or a service based business, let your true style and personality shine through your brand and your business.  

Uncovering the real you

Peel back your layers, explore your genuine personality, your thoughts and opinions, and your perspective on your area of expertise.  Let these be the basis for your business.  This is an eye opening experience, and one that not everyone is fortunate enough to go through.  

Give yourself the permission and the space to define who you really are.  This is your business, so you get to set the rules.  You absolutely don’t have to be professional in the traditional sense if that’s not who you are.  Similarly, you don’t have to be super casual either, if that’s not in line with your personality.  Figure out what makes you who you are, and magnify it.  

Being “on brand”

Yes, this is a business, but it is also your brand.  Your brand.  Yours.  Your brand has to be authentic and true to who you are.  You shouldn’t have to think about whether what you’re doing is “on brand”.  If it doesn’t feel like you, then it isn’t on brand.  It really is as simple as that.  When something feels 100% authentic and true to who you are, then you know it’s on brand.  This applies to written content, images, colors, opinions, content formats, specific words.. literally everything.  

In fact, on the language front, if you aren’t writing in the exact manner that you talk, then it’s safe to say you are not being on brand!  People want to read your content and feel like they are getting to know you.  One of the greatest compliments I received early on in my foray into entrepreneurship was that my articles were easy to read and felt “like a conversation between you and me”.  Yes! That was absolutely my aim.  I wanted it to feel that way.  And hearing that exact same feedback from multiple people was the confirmation and feedback I was waiting for.  

Learning NOT to conform

This might sound easy, but believe me, it’s harder than you’d imagine.  We grow up conforming to expectations and influences from people around us.  And when those expectations are no longer there, we tend to create similar ones and believe in them.  Common entrepreneurship beliefs are: “I can’t do this as well as [insert name of expert]”, “I shouldn’t be vulnerable or people won’t want to buy from me”, or even more damaging “I have to figure this out by myself or people won’t believe I can help them”.  

These negative beliefs weigh us down and prevent us from soaring as high as we could potentially go.  They are borne from our previous experiences, very likely tied to earlier (or current!) corporate and societal influences.  Let them go.  They are not truths, they are beliefs.  Replace them with beliefs that make you feel positive, inspired and motivated.

Building your brand

Discover what truly represents you – through words, visuals, experiences and opinions.  Build your business so it is a true representation of you.  This can be difficult for a lot of people because as I mentioned earlier, we spend the majority of our lives conforming to outside influences, and when given full reign, we tend to get lost in the expectations we now “expect” to have placed on us from new outside influences.  But this couldn’t be further from the truth.  In fact, when designing and building your own business, this will actually harm you and not do you any good at all.  

Choose your branding and develop a brand strategy that aligns completely to you and your unique position.  Ensure that your brand runs through all the touch-points that your customer might interact with your brand on.  The sign of great branding is when your customer recognizes your brand even before seeing your logo or your name.  Perhaps it’s the content, perhaps it the words, perhaps it’s the visuals.  Whatever it is, building that recognizable brand puts you ahead of your competition.  

Building your business model

Embed your brand and your vision into the business you create.  Choose, design and develop a business model that fully supports your vision of the future.  Thoughtfully and intentionally create development and delivery mechanisms for your product or service that are a joy for you to work on.  

Creating a business you love is rooted in knowing exactly what makes you happy and what you’d like your life to look like.  The truth is, you can create your business any way you want to.  When you go through the advice available to you on how to create your business, make sure you pick the things that you’re great at and that truly make you happy.  Create your business around you, not the other way around.  

Measuring your “success”

Measure your success by the amount of fun you have in your business.  This is such a game changer.  If you’re miserable, your customers will feel it.  Your brand and your business will not be able to attract customers in the same way they would if you were excited and truly believed in what you are doing.  

Attracting your ideal customers 

When you create a business that is a true reflection of who you are and what you believe in, you will attract like-minded people to it.  And the like-minded people you attract will undoubtedly become your most ideal customers.  

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Managing Entrepreneurial Stress and Overwhelm

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Entrepreneurial stress – it’s a real thing.  If we’re going to talk about stress (which we are), then I think it’s fair to first acknowledge that everyone faces stress at work.  We live in a time where we’re expected to be available 24/7, do jobs faster (and better!) and have the right people skills in place to manage colleagues, managers and stakeholders.  

But for an entrepreneur, it’s all that – and more.  

As an entrepreneur, it’s safe to say that by nature, you’re a hard worker.  You couldn’t build a business if you weren’t.  But when you’re building and running a business – your business, no less – it’s all too common to find yourself getting involved in all the jobs, across all the initiatives, with a to-do list that keeps growing, while important people and self-care get sidelined.  In fact, sometimes it can feel like you’re working all the time but not making the proportional amount of progress.  

And all that will inevitably lead to an immense amount of stress and a ton of overwhelm.  

So what can you do to take control of the situation, be efficient and effective with your time, and still create space for yourself and your loved ones?

1. Celebrate your small wins

Really celebrate them! It’s not enough to cross the item off your to-do list (but of course, do that too – it is very satisfying, isn’t it?).  This is about taking the time to revel in the accomplishment of a win, whether it’s getting your website up, signing on a digital marketing agency, or getting your first paying client.  Whatever your win, you deserve to celebrate it.  In fact, you should celebrate it, not just because you deserve to, but to also get into the habit of acknowledging the progress you make along your journey.  

You can treat yourself to something you’ve been looking forward to, like a glass of wine, some online shopping, or a long walk around the park or neighborhood.  

You can also share the news with someone who will celebrate your accomplishment with you,  which can be anything from jumping up and down in excitement with you or throwing a party to celebrate it.  

By focusing on what you’ve accomplished rather than what still remains to be completed, you relieve some of that entrepreneurial stress and overwhelm that is always focused on how much work remains to be completed and how many problems still need to be solved.  

2. Maximize your strengths, delegate your weaknesses

This is a real time-saver, but something most entrepreneurs and small business owners (and, if we’re honest, a lot of other people in general) have difficulty with.  

There is such pride in building and running your own business that at times it feels like asking for help takes away from all the hard work you’ve put into it.  Or worse – that someone coming in to help you won’t do as good of a job as you would.  

Whichever the reason, it’s worth remembering that you should always be maximizing your strengths, and that means also delegating your weaknesses.  When you take your precious and limited time and spend it on tasks that are not your strengths, you are literally taking time away from doing more of the things that you are best at.  

Entrepreneurial stress and overwhelm is exacerbated by having to do work on things that you’re not particularly great at, or that you have to learn from scratch.  So instead of letting that happen and affect you negatively, ask for or hire help if you can and focus on what you’re best at.  It’ll be better for your business in the end.  

3. Have a clear plan

One of the best things I’ve found is having a clear plan that I can refer to in order to make sure I’m working on tasks that are going to help get me to where I want to be.  

Essentially, this should be the output of your strategy and business plan.  It should be a big list of your action items, split by strategic pillar or another grouping of your choice, that rolls up to the overall goal or objective that you’ve set for your business.  

If you want more on how you can create a strategic plan with action items, you’ll find Make Your Strategy Actionable helpful.  

A clear plan will take away a massive amount of the entrepreneurial stress and overwhelm that you’re facing by providing a roadmap and a comprehensive set of tasks and activities to get you from where you are today to where you aspire to be.  

Your plan should be updated (which means crossing off completed tasks, and adding new tasks that have come up), but it shouldn’t change significantly within short periods of time.  It’s important that you know what you need to do over the next little while but it’s equally important that the goal post doesn’t keep moving.  If it does, then it’s probably time to hire someone to help you with your strategy and strategic planning.    

As you might know or have guessed, your master list can have hundreds of tasks in it, so…  

4. Don’t schedule more than 3 tasks per day 

Once you have your master list in place, trust that you will get around to all the tasks in the list in due course, but for now, focus on 3 items at a time.  

Every evening, choose the 3 tasks that you’ll focus on the next, and write them down.  You don’t want to be writing down your 3 tasks in the morning.  Why?  For starters, things will come up that will seem more urgent, so you’ll end up doing those and pushing the other 3 items to “tomorrow”.  

Another reason to plan your tasks the night before is so that you don’t waste any time on the day trying to decide what to work on.  You can just jump right in.  

And lastly, having 3 tasks to choose from gives you enough flexibility to work on something you feel like working on at the time.  I like to give myself a variety of tasks – design/creative, writing, planning, networking etc, so that I can choose activities that align to how I’m feeling at the time.  If I don’t feel particularly creative at the time, for example, I’ll leave my social media tasks for later in the day and instead do some planning or writing – picking from whatever is on my list.  

5. Focus on the activities with the biggest impact – prioritize 

You’ve been here – you look at your long list of things to do, take a deep breath and then just dive right in.  And after a day, a week or even a month of working long hours, you look around and realize: not much has changed in your business.  

What happened to all those hours and all that work that you put in?  

The truth is, you might be spending your time on activities that are important, but that won’t have the biggest impact on your business at this time.  

To be effective with your time, you need to identify and work on the tasks and activities that are going to have the biggest positive impact on your business today.  In your long list of action items, identify the top 5-10 items that are going to leapfrog you towards that future vision.  Those are the items you need to focus on now. 

As you work your way through your list, continue to identify the top 5-10 items (or the top 20% of outstanding items) and make those a priority.  

If you continue to do this day in and day out, you’ll find yourself making visible progress towards your goals – because you’ll be spending your time on the activities with the biggest impact.  

And what better way to manage entrepreneurial stress and overwhelm than to see positive progress towards your goal? 

6. Make exercise a priority

In life, I like to focus on no more than 2-3 big goals at a time.  For example, my business, health and fitness, and perhaps one other thing (moving homes, spending time with family, learning a new skill, etc).  Having only 2-3 big goals at a time helps massively with general stress and overwhelm.  When you know you only have 2-3 big focus areas on your plate, you stop trying to do it all and you have more time to focus on and pour into those top goals.

As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you might find that you business takes up all your time, and that you only have that one big goal to focus on.  You might think this is great, but it’s not, unfortunately.  

One of the top 2-3 big goals should always be health and fitness.  I’m not saying you need to have a goal to run a marathon, but set some goals to take care of yourself.  Even if you don’t particularly like to exercise, plan a long walk a few times a week with a friend or family member, or go on your own and take in the scenery or listen to a podcast.  

Some of the greatest ideas will come to you as you take time away from your desk and your work and allow your mind to wander.  You can also use this time to connect with your friends and family – a two-in-one!

We all know that exercise helps alleviate stress, so don’t be afraid to schedule in some time for a short or long walk early in the morning, midway through the day, or at night – whenever works best work you.

7. Keep a list of your accomplishments 

You’re doing everything above, but are you writing down all your wins and accomplishments?  If you’re not, it’s time to get that list going! 

Start by writing down everything you’ve accomplished to date.  This can include steps you’ve taken to get your business up and running, clients you’ve signed on, a-ha moments that have shaped your strategy, feedback you’ve received and anything else that makes you feel good about how far along you’ve already come.  

Keep this list of your accomplishments – big and small – for those days when the entrepreneurial stress and overwhelm kicks in and you need a little pick-me-up, a reminder of how far you’ve come, and proof for yourself that you’ve already done so much.  

Sometimes you just need to stop and acknowledge that you’ve already accomplished a lot to calm that stress and overwhelm, and then pick up where you left off with the knowledge that you can do this.  

A final note on entrepreneurial stress and overwhelm

We’ve all been there.  There isn’t a single entrepreneur or small business owner who doesn’t feel stress and overwhelm at some point in their lives (but more realistically, quite often in their lives).  Just know that you’re not alone, and that getting clear, organized, focusing on accomplishments and taking care of yourself will go a long way in relieving some of that stress and overwhelm. 

Can you share your experiences of entrepreneurial stress and overwhelm? What additional tactics and strategies have you used to overcome this? Post your comments and any questions below, and if you can help anyone else out with an answer, don’t hesitate to do so! As always, if you’ve found this article useful, share it with someone who’ll benefit from it as well!