The following article was written by Strategies founder and CEO Neil Ducoff and recently appeared on the consulting company’s online newsletter.

 

Beating Entrepreneurial Burnout

 

Think back to how you felt when you started your salon/spa. You had an entrepreneurial fire in your gut that made you feel like you could conquer everything along your path to success. Your vision and mission were pulling you to a place where your business and leadership skills were going to be put to the test. You put your personal guarantee and assets on the line. The planning, hiring and training of your new team, the grand opening and pushing your fledgling business forward—it was an exhilarating time.

 

How bright is that entrepreneurial fire in your gut today? If you’re like many owners, the routine and stress of growing and maintaining a profitable salon/spa in today’s fiercely competitive market can turn your vision of business ownership into a “job.” Staff turnover, refurbishing, fighting cash flow and other daily business pressures can quietly dash your spirit and lead to burnout. What’s burnout? It’s when passion turns to indifference, or worse, apathy.

If your entrepreneurial fire needs some stoking, here are some red-hot strategies:

 

Confront reality. You’re not going to snap out of burnout waiting for something to happen. The best cure for burnout is to do something about your stagnated state. What needs to change in your business? I bet there are five big projects waiting for you to tackle them.

 

Pick a big change project. Commit to it, set a deadline and get to work. Getting started is the best immediate cure for burnout. And getting results will flush burnout from your system.