Now that most people are working from home, you may be questioning how to stay productive and how to gain momentum despite the many external factors beyond your control.
Businesses of all sizes and entrepreneurs at all stages are struggling, and you may be wondering how you are going to be personally affected by this.
However, many of the tips in ‘How to Stay Motivated in Your Business When You Hit a Rough Patch’ hold true regardless of your circumstance. As it was mentioned, there are many intangible aspects in entrepreneurship – and albeit the situation being an aspect you could not exactly prepare for, it’s something to grapple with nonetheless.
Know that you are not alone in this and that you don’t have to force yourself to be productive if you’re not quite ready yet. It may take some time, and these tips could serve as a guide when you’re looking for a sense of structure.
Engage with your audience
As an entrepreneur, you likely have your preferred platform for reaching your audience depending on your niche. Regardless of what it is, you don’t need to ignore what is currently happening. You and your audience are all on the same boat right now – you might as well acknowledge it in any way that you can.
You can shoot vlogs, go on Instagram Live for a Q&A, write meaningful blog content, host a webinar, or offer deals and discounts if you have an e-commerce page. The app Tiktok has also become extremely popular in UK, as the number of people with the a smartphone and the app at 8.7% in 2019 and could be used to promote content to a younger demographic. Your audience has supported and led you to where you are, and rest assured, they will appreciate the authenticity and your willingness to engage, considering that many people are in isolation.
Plan ahead
You may already have grown accustomed to working from home prior to the current situation, but this could be a crucial time for you to plan ahead when it comes to your future work practices.
Coworking spaces are favoured locations among freelancers across the globe as spaces where they can thrive. And it is not hard to see why, with coworking giant Industrious listing the numerous amenities available at its U.S. branches which include private offices for teams of up to 20, common areas with refreshments, and event programming for networking. These are ideal for solopreneurs and even for growing your business.
The UK is becoming one of the top countries for remote working, with 43 coworking spaces opening up in London last year. You may not make it to your local coworking space right now, so this is the time to plan ahead to consider how you will grow your network when we are permitted to leave our homes.
Pick up new skills
You don’t have to be confined by what you think you know about entrepreneurship at this time. Use this period to pick up on other skills that you’ve been curious about or wanting to learn for a while now. An article by CNBC suggests thinking of it as investing in your personal growth.
Having the mindset of a lifelong learner is pertinent to entrepreneurship – no matter what it is you choose to learn. It does not have to be directly related to your current employment, and you may even realise that the skills you will pick up complement your job in ways you did not expect. There are a number of resources, videos, and classes you can find online, and these could help put you at ease and discover (or rediscover) other passions and interests. They could even lead the way to other opportunities in the future.
Things may be nebulous right now, so do what you can to get by. For more entrepreneurial marketing and business tips, check out the Jon Allo homepage.
