If Your Business Isn’t Making You Squeal, Here’s What You Need to Know

This summer on my Instagram feed I posted a video of my son that is 1) really adorable but also 2) (more relevant here) inspiring to me as an entrepreneur.

The video shows my son at the splash park, enjoying a fountain of water that sprays out of the ground at regular intervals. His squeals and the joy that emanates from his little body every time that water comes on again make it extremely obvious just how much he is enjoying the surprise element.

Obviously, I love watching this video because I love seeing the joy in my little boy’s reactions. But at the same time, my entrepreneur mind never shuts off, and I can’t help but think to myself, “If everyone got this excited about their business, the world would be a different place.”

In reality, there is that element of joy and wonder at the core of every business, or at least there should be. Whether you deal in childcare, accounting, retail, creative services or garbage collection, there is, or was at some point, one or more elements of your business that made you squeal like a small child at the splash park (even if only in your head). It might be the product you’re selling, marketing your services to your niche market, networking with peers, helping clients to see how your offerings can make their life better, or the satisfaction you find in performing your specific service. Hopefully, you find this glee in more than one element of your business.

The problem, of course, is that we are adults; life isn’t so simple that we can stand in one spot continually finding glee in that one really fun element forevermore. There are so many other tasks to deal with, and we get worn down by daily life and sometimes even stuck in a rut.

With an economic downturn happening around us and likely affecting our businesses, it’s more important than ever that we find the elements of our work that bring us joy. Perhaps this week it’s a happy client, a pat on the back from a colleague or an exciting new sale. Take that happiness and excitement and hold onto it. Then, surround yourself with the things that make you ecstatic — vision boards of goals and dreams for your business, customer testimonials that remind you of the reasons you do what you do, opportunities to do more of what you love. Delegate the tasks that bog you down, whenever possible!

You may find that your passion has shifted. This might be a sign that it is time to shift your focus within the business, take on different tasks and delegate differently, or even switch up your service or product offerings. Which possibilities make you feel truly excited — and a little bit scared — when you consider them? Give these options more thought.

If it makes you want to squeal, you might be on the right track.

To get your marketing on track and find those parts of your business again that really get you excited, let’s have a conversation! It’s time to highlight the elements that bring you joy — and reflect that in your marketing!