How to motivate myself to keep going

[Rosey]

I've been running my business (skin care) since 2009. I didn't think much of it as a business since I started with only $870 capital. However, I was able to grow the business, which now makes about $700k/year. The problem is I made a poor choice by switching manufacturers and it ruined the brand (got a lot of negative reviews, etc. because this mfr suck) so my sales went down. Also, I became complacent and didn't try to market the products. The blog that normally sends a lot of traffic (sales) to my site slowly started to go down and now the traffic was cut in half. I want to do something about it, but for some reasons, something (I don't know what it is) keeps on preventing me from doing it. I honestly feel scared because this is my livelihood and I depend on it. I feel so down sometimes that I just want to leave everything behind. My question is, what do I need to do to motivate myself and keep going?

Note: Be brutally honest with me and tell me exactly what you think.

 

[Josephine Stuart]

I think to be an entrepreneur you have to be passionate -- but you also have to be able to push through times that aren't so exciting. This may be one of those times. You seem to be struggling, and that doesn't mean you have to give up; it just means you have to get creative.

You probably realize now that it was dangerous to depend so much on one source of traffic. However, there's nothing you can do about the failing blog other than to find another source of traffic. Does your business bring in enough money still to pay for influencer marketing? Can you reach out to similar blogs (more than one) about a possible partnership? Can you approach a totally new form of marketing that you've never tried before?

I think with anything, thinking of starting is worse than actually starting. Once you get moving, you'll realize that it's just a matter of taking one step at a time.

 

[Rosey]

Hi Josephine,

Thank you so much for the advice. Yes, the business does make enough money but I guess I just kind of lost hope since my sales went down dramatically. I'm compiling a list of possible influencers whom I can be partners. Do you have any suggestions on which tools/platforms I should use to find relevant influencers?

 

[Josephine Stuart]

Rosey,

It's awesome that you're starting to get moving again! I think Hootsuite has some pretty good search tools for finding influencers, and Little Bird helps you measure interaction in the right communities. I haven't personally tried either, but I've heard good things. Let us know if you try either one!

 

[SteveStrait]

What kind of skin care products are you selling?
I am seeing a lot of traction from pinterest and IG being used in the beauty market.
It works really well and its not hard to get a hold of influencers depending on the size of market you are going after.
(I tend to target local influencers first because growing locally-even online- is much cheaper logistically)

If you are not willing to pay for an app, just use the search function in IG.
Make sure you search using the right tags thats being searched in the market.

If you are having a hard time getting influencers on board, try a smaller influencer.
Smaller influencers tend to have bigger engagement (relative to the size of their followers).

 

[Kevin A]

I know how you feel i just got out of a bad depression from my past failures and i thought i couldnt get out. i wasnt motivated i wasnt feeling it nomore. untill i started investing in my mind watch motivational videos on youtube. start with this one

Remember to read and educate yourself. you need more preparation best of luck

 

[anniebennet]

Do not follow others move, you will never be them. Try to be yourself, try hard. As Jack Ma used to say "Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow is worse but the day after tomorrow is sunshine" If you have a small budget, invest yourself on a trip. You may feel better. Best wishes for you! Good luck ~

 

[cdbreder]

One axiom that always seems to be true is that you need to love what you do ]. If you aren't passionate about it, you will eventually tire and spiral down.

 

[scaleclack]

It is common for a business to experience downfalls even up to 5 years. You need to find ways to catch up and never get tired of discovering and learning new strategies as your business grows. You should have to be determined and positive all the time. Last and foremost, you must be really interested with your business.

 

[VirtualGlobalPhone]

@Rosey ; Not sure whats your final goal. Probably the goal you set demands more thrust and power which is not sufficient with present condition. See if making a big goal into smaller achievable goal. Share how it goes...

 

[APFG]

Rosey, that is wonderful that you have managed to make your business so successful. Can you think back to a time when you were enjoying what you were doing and how it made you feel? As it's those moments that help us move through the hardship. Also recognize that you have come this far and do yourself proud, for all that you have accomplished. The challenges are part of the journey and they make us more loving towards ourselves and each other. We learn a lot from when we are down. What about seeing the challenges as an opportunity to refresh where you are and open up to new possibilities. It also helps to be with yourself when you are down, instead of avoiding it because you are face to face with what doesn't work. What is going well for you now and how can you accept that this too shall pass? Be gentle on yourself and know that you are exactly where you need be.