Signs That You’re in a Year One Rut
Don’t feel like you’re in la-la land after year one of your business? Here are 3 signs that you’re in a year one rut.
When you left your 9–5 job, you did it so that you could build the business of your dreams and be your own boss. Now that the transition is complete and you’re pre or post year-one of your business, you’re not feeling as elated about the business as you envisioned. Instead, you’re either feeling super burnt out or bored.
When you’re in year one and hustling to prove that you can work full-time for yourself, you get caught up in cash flow and wrangling as much of it as possible. Whether you succeeded or not, the energy and effort you put into that pursuit probably has you feeling like you’re running on empty.
The year one rut for an entrepreneur is a common crossroads — it’s a crux that requires problem-solving if you’re committed to running a business that makes you happy.
Suspect that you’re in a year one rut? Here are the 3 common signs that you’re in the thick of it.
You’re Not In Love With Your Work
Does sitting in front of your computer to start the workday feel terrible rather than inspiring?
Do you have customers you don’t really like working with? Are you working on projects that are boring or uninteresting? Are you selling your products in markets or marketplaces that are exhausting to sell at or take a huge cut out of your sales?
In your ideal situation, you would be working with different customers, selling online rather than at markets, and reducing other stress aggravators that make running your business harder.
If the people you’re selling to and the methods you’re using to sell your products or services aren’t fun or interesting to you, then it’s a sign that you’re running your business under less than ideal conditions.
You shouldn’t accept a dismal / less-than-exciting relationship with who you’re selling to and how you’re selling to them because if you do, how are you going to make it to year 5 or year 10 of your business when you’re unequivocally bored about your work? Hint: you won’t.
You’re Making Low-Hanging-Fruit-Money
Are you making “easy” money from customers who are easy to capture, but may not represent your ideal customers? Are you using sales channels that aren’t your ideal environments to sell in and take a sizable cut of your sales, but you sell on them anyway because they’re convenient?
Year one of a new business is challenging when you hit this realization — that you’re making money, but you’re not feeling fulfilled with who you’re selling to or the work you’re doing. You want to build a business that’s completely aligned with the impact you want to make by selling to the right people on the right channels.
With this realization, you desire to shift away from making easy money to money that’s harder to make, but makes you a happier business owner. A switch from low hanging fruit to high hanging, sweeter fruit that makes you work for better nectar.
Your Brand Is Having An Identity Crisis
When you’re starting to contemplate all the different avenues that your brand can go in its positioning, but you’re not quite sure how to niche down without making less money, and that challenge is freezing you in indecision, it’s a sign that you’re in a rut.
You’ve made some money running the business as-is, but the fear of ruining the business in pursuit of building a business that you love is a valid, yet irrational problem to contemplate.
Here’s why: if you started your business in the first place so that you can do work you love while being your own boss, being stuck in an identity crisis simply for money reasons is a sign that you’ve gone off track somewhere.
A self-imposed identity crisis is usually a sign that the fear of failing is overshadowing why you started your own business in the first place. If you’re fearful of the risks of failing, then you’re in the wrong line of business.
Snapping out of this rut and redirecting yourself towards building a business you love is possible with guidance and commitment.
I’m holding a free workshop to help you get out of your year one rut by turning your “meh” business into your dream business — grab a seat at my free workshop here.
