In this blog, we are having some fun, talking about how to HAVE fun as a business owner. So many of us start a business because we think it’ll be fun. We maybe aren’t enjoying our day jobs, we want a side hustle to go along with being a mom, or we feel really passionate about an idea and want to act on it. Whatever it is, we want to have fun with it typically.
But so often, our businesses aren’t fun. They can actually become a total drag where we are like a poorly treated employee in our own company, and we are the terrible boss.
So I understand that some seasons and moments in business are not easy. I have certainly been in those moments myself, but owning a business can still be an overall fun experience. So if you feel like you haven’t been enjoying your business lately, these are a few ideas to put some FUN into your work.
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1. Go on a “business dreams date” with yourself.
Take yourself out to a coffee shop, shut yourself away on your back patio with some wine, and let yourself have some dreaming time about your business. This does not have to be a super long thing. It can just be 30 minutes to an hour, but I find this important.
Far too often, we get caught up in the hustle of our businesses. We're in the grind of it all. As a result, we don't stop to think about where we want to go, what our goals are, and what we've accomplished.
Use this time to pause and look at how things are going and where you want them to go. When I do this, I always commit to no email inbox opening, no writing people back, and no posting on Instagram. I might even leave my phone in a different area of the room or not bring it at all. This is a time to be alone with your high-level business thoughts and ideas.
I like to have a few things I'm thinking about. It may be my vision for a new offer or some ideas for how to solve a problem. I might also map out financial decisions, celebrate business wins, pray, talk to God, or let Him speak to me about what He wants.
This is something to do often because you get to feel the benefits immediately, and it's helpful when you’re stuck. If you want to try this but don't have something specific to focus on, ask yourself what you want your business to look like by the end of the year, five years, whatever range makes sense.
Think about what you want to celebrate or do more of in your business. Then, genuinely use this time to pause, brainstorm, and have fun as a business owner again.
2. Make friends with other business owners.
When running a small, primarily online business like so many of us do, it's typically just you and your clients, which can get lonely. You don't have the camaraderie of being in the office with other people when you do most of your work from your kitchen table. As much as your friends love you, it can be hard for them to celebrate or empathize with you if they aren't business owners.
Your friends don't have to understand it entirely, but that's where it can be so helpful to have friends that also own businesses. They don't have to be local to you for them to add value to your life.
You could also message a business owner who's in a similar place in business as you and ask them to hang out. It could be that you're asking them to meet up for coffee if you are both local, or you could ask them to meet for a zoom date. If you do have things in common, they will likely say yes.
I have a lot of friends who are business owners, and most of them are not local to me. Instead, they are digital friends that I might talk to on Zoom after interviewing them for the podcast, or we’ll chat back and forth on Voxer. Having someone to celebrate and brainstorm with who gets it makes a difference.
3. Hire a team!
If you've read the blog for a while, you've probably seen me talk about this, but I'm an introvert and enjoy working alone. I know many new business owners go crazy having less structure and no one to work with. I love being home and working alone in my office.
However, I have more fun as a business owner working alongside a team of people on the same mission. They help me troubleshoot problems, celebrate wins, and assist me wherever needed. Being able to troubleshoot issues with my team is huge for me. Making big decisions alone is scary, and having a second opinion can be so helpful.
You don’t have to hire a full-time employee or undergo a complicated hiring process. It can be a contractor who helps with things like your inbox and brainstorming new ideas. If you want more help with all things teams/hiring, you can get on the waitlist for my upcoming teams' course and learn more about it here.
I've shared about this before on the blog. Here are some of my favorite posts for you to check out:
My Team Building Story: Hiring, Outsourcing, Terrible Hires, Delegating, and More!
Everything About How to Find, Vet, and Hire the Right VA with Saba Ferdinand
How to Successfully Lead a Small, Virtual Team with Tianna Tye
4 Questions that ACTUALLY Help You Get to Know Your Job Applicants
4. Stop doing the stuff you hate and following someone else’s version of success.
Think about how many unnecessary things you do in your business. These can be things you hate doing or things you're not good at that you believe you have to do because it works for someone else. Don’t follow someone else's version of success. Instead, define what success means to you in your business.
Just because someone else is launching a course or releasing a new product doesn't mean you have to do the same. When you're constantly changing to a random version of success that doesn't align with your goals, or you don't even know what your version of success is, you're not going to have fun as a business owner. You might end up miserable in your business because your direction is just based on what all your competitors are doing.
Returning to tip #1, take yourself on a business dream date, find out what success looks like this season, and pursue that. Another part of knowing what your version of success looks like is continually reorienting yourself toward your goals.
If you’re always doing things you hate and tasks that make you miserable, consider hiring some help. For example, maybe you're doing your own bookkeeping, but it's confusing and stressful.
That is a sign that it's likely time to hire someone to take this on. However, there are also times when you're doing something you hate and need to quit it altogether because it’s not helping your business.
5. Let yourself be goofy!
Many of you guys have personal brand businesses like mine, where you can bring fun into it. But, even if it's not a personal brand, having a brand and business that is fun, inviting, and goofy at times could speak volumes in terms of attracting your ideal clients.
You can share funny stories, memes you like that your audience might like, and personal life stories. You can also use gifs in your emails and on Instagram. But, whatever you do, show up as yourself. You're going to create a much more compelling brand that way.
