5 Things To Do When You Hit a Hurdle in Business

Hurdles are inevitable. They are a part of life and a part of business. Some are small and some can knock the wind out of your sails. Knowing there will be different types of hurdles in your entrepreneurial journey is a good mindset to adopt. As you grow your business, some hurdles will become easy to overcome, and you’ll look back and think, ‘wow! remember when that happened?!’ But also as you grow, some hurdles will seem difficult to get through, but they’re not impossible.

Just remember these 5 Things To Do When You Hit a Hurdle in Business:

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Remember Your Why

This is what keeps you going, what started it all and what lights the fire. When x, y, z isn’t going according to plan, you’re putting out new fires every day, and it all just seems a bit chaotic? Remember why you started. This will pull back the blinders, give you some clarity and refocus your thoughts. Bring it back to basics, back to why you do what you do, back to why this piqued your interest. Reflect on your why to refuel through the hurdles.

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Find And Connect With Community

Entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be a lonely road anymore. Reach out, find people in your niche but those outside of it too. Connect with like-minded people with passions and drive that aligns with your own. These are your people you can vent to, seek guidance from if they’ve been in a similar scenario, and feel rejuvenated in your hustle when faced with an obstacle.

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Get Feedback

Have people in your corner that you can turn to. The ones you trust to have your best interests at heart but also give it to you straight. These are your personal board of directors. You build them as you grow, so make note of who you value the opinion of and gravitate towards in high times and low times. If you have 2-4 people that you can talk through a challenge or hurdle in your business, you can gain new perspectives, get honest feedback and plan your next move with support.

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Schedule Creative Time & Brain Dumps

Sometimes you’re a creative first, and the business and problem-solving comes second. It’s easy to feel pulled toward your strengths while other priorities fall to the wayside. To be proactive in creating less hurdles or tackling them while they feel manageable, be disciplined in your time management. Carve out time for you to be creative and brain dump ideas when you want to, not when you need to.

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Walk Away

It’s so easy to get caught up in the go-go-go and the, “okay, what’s next?” Your business is your baby. Sometimes it’s hard to take a moment and reconfigure your thoughts. Sometimes you need to walk away — not permanently or a huge duration of time — but just for a breather. Assess if you need to unplug and shift your mind to something else instead of trying to wrack your brain trying to problem solve. Switch up the content you’re consuming to find new inspiration. If instagram is your go-to, try pinterest or podcasts to trigger new ideas.

As humans we’re conditioned to want to fix the problem or jump over the hurdle we face right away. And some of the tips mentioned above might seem counterintuitive to do — but try one or two that seem reasonable to what you are facing at the moment. Remember: the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit. These hurdles might take some time to get through, and perhaps a combination of small steps incorporating these tips just might be the perfect solution.

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About The Authors

Sarah and Teri created the community of Females Who Side Hustle (FWSH) to connect with like-minded, motivated females through open conversations and shared experiences in order to change the narrative of entrepreneurship being a lonely road. Their mission is to bring more women to the table, ditch the competition, and lift each other up. A year after FWSH started and the incredible reception they received, they launched Save Her Seat Podcast where listeners can join the honest conversations Sarah, Teri and sometimes a special guest have amongst each other — real and insightful shop talk about the success and struggles of entrepreneurship.

Check them out at Females Who Side Hustle or on Instagram at @femaleswhosidehustle

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