5 Entrepreneurial Shoves to Push You Forward

Business owners often want to oversee every detail, and that's a great way to burn out. Avoid disaster by tapping resources -- and letting go when you need to.

learn more about Sherry Gray

By Sherry Gray

Hinterhaus Productions | Getty Images

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Entrepreneurs must focus on opportunities to move their businesses forward and strategies to take their companies to the next level. But it can be easy to get distracted by all the noise or wallow in negative projections. Think of it this way: Your table is full of junk food that will make you and your business sick! Push all those empty calories off your plate, and you'll be able to concentrate on the meat and potatoes.

Here are five ways to start.

Find a virtual assistant.

You can hire a virtual assistant from onlinejobs.ph for approximately $100 per month. A virtual assistant can help tidy up your schedule, organize your life and take care of routine tasks. It's a great way to delegate the busy-but-not-productive jobs while you handle the strategizing and purpose-driven musts that only you can do. While you're at it, consider hiring a social-media specialist or content manager who's adept at spotting trends and can help position your business.

Don't count your own beans.

Unless you're a trained accountant, trying to keep track of the beans is both time-consuming and potentially treacherous. It's more efficient to outsource work that drags you away from what you do best.

Hire a professional bookkeeper who can maximize your business-related deductions and keep you out of hot water with the Internal Revenue Service. Ask for referrals from friends, family members and colleagues. Or check out Bench.co, where a bookkeeping hire will run you around $150 per month. An accounting specialist needs to be your bedrock, so make sure you find just the right one for you. Then forget about watching every penny and get back to those entrepreneurial activities that make your company what it is.

Realize that thinking makes it so.

Of course it's a cliché. But it's also been studied and proven to be quite true. You are what you think you are. You achieve what you think you can achieve. A quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln states it this way: "Many people are about as happy as they like to think they are." Only in your case, change the word "happy" to "successful."

Your mindset is the most valuable business tool you have. If you feel defeated walking in the door of your office, why bother to come in at all? Your attitude will rub off on others who depend on you for decisions and inspiration. If you think you'll lose, you already have. Remember that no successful entrepreneur ever achieved greatness without plenty of embarrassments and at least one stinging failure.

Related: These Entrepreneurs Succeeded -- But Only After Failing Once Before

Embrace social media.

Don't grudgingly acknowledge it, like a distant cousin who is asking for money -- dive headfirst into this turbulent and fascinating facet of modern communication. Obey the cardinal rule: Don't spread your brand too thin on social media. Hire the people and use the right strategies to post and track everything from Facebook to Pinterest to Weibo. Nuvi is one of many tools to help you get a toehold.

Done properly, social media has the potential to show greater returns than paid ads in print publications, radio and television. Best of all, the medium itself is free.

Related: 5 Social Hacks That Can Boost Sales

Take this dare.

Wait until your new business seems to be teetering on the brink of disaster, and then take a week's vacation. Somewhere far away, where you can't be reached very easily.

Let your business -- your life's blood, your brainchild -- sink or swim on its own, with the people you've already put in charge of the tasks they're equipped to handle. Designate one of them as head honcho in your absence, and then walk out the door.

When you return, you'll find either an abandoned office with tumbleweeds blowing through it or a thriving company whose staff now possesses 10 times the confidence and enthusiasm they did when you left. This exercise will teach you two extremely important lessons:

  1. You've built a solid foundation for your new business already, so things are going to be just fine.
  2. You're not as almighty important as you thought you were. The world doesn't stop just because you go swimming on a beach in Cambodia for a week.

Related: Why Entrepreneurs Need to Stop Fearing Vacations

The takeaway is simple: The key to success is to start with a great idea and a solid business plan, hire the right people to help you and let them do their thing.

Sherry Gray

Freelance Content Writer

Sherry Gray is a freelance content writer from Key West, Fla., currently suffering the suburbs of Orlando. She's a science geek, a social media junkie and an unapologetic fan of all things bacon.

 

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Business News

These Are the Most and Least Affordable Places to Retire in The U.S.

The Northeast and West Coast are the least affordable, while areas in the Mountain State region tend to be ideal for retirees on a budget.

Thought Leaders

The Collapse of Credit Suisse: A Cautionary Tale of Resistance to Hybrid Work

This cautionary tale serves as a reminder for business leaders to adapt to the changing world of work and prioritize their workforce's needs and preferences.

Business News

I Live on a Cruise Ship for Half of the Year. Look Inside My 336-Square-Foot Cabin with Wraparound Balcony.

I live on a cruise ship with my husband, who works on it, for six months out of the year. Life at "home" can be tight. Here's what it's really like living on a cruise ship.

Business Solutions

Learn to Build a ChatGPT Bot for Only $30

If you want to see what AI can do for your business, grab this course bundle today.

Business News

The 'Airbnbust' Proves the Wild West Days of Online Vacation Rentals Are Over

Airbnb recently reported that 2022 was its first profitable year ever. But the deluge of new listings foreshadowed an inevitable correction.

Health & Wellness

5 Essential Steps to Expand Your Vision and Start Living Your Dream Life

It's time to break free from your comfort zone and expand your vision. When you refuse to settle for a mediocre life, you can start building a life you love.