It’s not surprising that new entrepreneurs often feel overwhelmed when starting a business. There’s simply a lot of work to do. There’s also the fact that there’s a pending “doom,” a reputation lost or resources drained when they don’t do things right and cover their bases.
But too much overwhelm, when left unaddressed, is tiring. It could drive you to burnout and loss of interest in your venture early on. You should check your emotions now and then and more importantly, stop the overwhelming feelings in your tracks. Here’s how you can do it.
Assign tasks
New entrepreneurs are full of enthusiasm that sometimes they’re not aware they’re doing everything on their own. Or in some instances, they overthink failure that they feel they’re the only one competent enough to do the job. When you juggle too many things at once, even if you’re an expert multi-tasker, you’d be overwhelmed one way or another. That’s why you need to learn the art of delegating tasks and trusting your employees with those tasks.
For franchisees, this is an attitude and skill developed in training programs. Franchisors ensure that franchisees are trained to train their own staff. So if you’re still exploring opportunities as of the moment, consider franchising, like a retail clothing franchise, one of the fastest-growing, promising businesses today. The bottom line here is learn to let go of tasks and let employees do their job.
Set objectives
Objectives aren’t just mental reminders of what you should accomplish. They also filter out the things you shouldn’t. Think about it, when you know what you must do at a given period, you wouldn’t give in to the urge of taking on tasks that would do little to your business finally breaking ground, say, joining that free webinar or attending this networking event. This way, you’d be directing all your energy and focus on a few things that will make an impact on your starting business.
So, establish clear, attainable goals for each phase of your business foundation. If possible, outline actionable steps for each goal. Celebrate your accomplishments along the way, so these will be reminders of how far you’ve gone in the business. These mini victories can serve as an antidote for your overwhelming feeling, too.
Establish boundaries
If you don’t set limits at how you work and how your business operates, you’ll find yourself taking on different ideas from the people around you, moving aimlessly from one set-up to another. You’d be swamped, for sure. While you’re still at the planning stage, determine already how many hours you and your team should work at an average day, when you’ll accommodate clients, how your employees should report to you, etc.
Set boundaries that are most comfortable for you. If you don’t want to meet clients on a Monday, for instance, propose a different schedule when they insist on it. If you prefer that your employees communicate via email instead of texts, roll out a policy for that. Even if you’re still a small business, be clear on how things are to run.
Feeling overwhelmed when starting a business is understandable. But don’t let it paralyze you or control you in the process. Keep in mind these tips to stay on top of your venture.
