Relieving Entrepreneurial Pressure

If you care deeply about your work, you’ve likely felt that persistent pressure. In my early entrepreneurial years, this heaviness was constant: late nights, endless to-do lists, and a recurring question: when does the pressure lift?

This was a question I constantly found myself asking, and the truth was not what I wanted to hear. The truth was, the pressure only lifts when I let it. What does that mean? It means celebrating your strengths, but even more importantly, identifying your weaknesses.

As intelligent, driven women, societal pressure says we can do it all, but the truth is we can’t, and we shouldn’t. The pressure finally lifted when I admitted to myself, “I hate this task, I’m not good at this task, but who around me is?”

We all became entrepreneurs because we had ideas and passion. What in your business gets you excited? That’s where your focus should be. What are the tasks you keep putting off or avoiding altogether? Those tasks are the things you should be outsourcing. If you can bring employees on to fill those gaps, that’s an option, but don’t be afraid to outsource to other businesses.

Our businesses are personal to us; they are like our children, an extension of ourselves, and we all want to keep that control close to home. We wind up giving money to a single-person operation because it feels safer. We have an initial feeling of excitement, I finally have someone to help, a sigh of relief and then the heartbreak comes. We didn’t see the results we not only wanted, but we NEEDED. I know because I’ve done it, and it almost caused me to burn out/give-up.

​So, what am I saying? Help exists, and shouldn’t be expensive to reach. How do you determine who is best to work with?   Ask the three questions below, and consider these points. Anyone turned off by these questions is throwing up red flags. My focus is marketing, but these guidelines apply to bookkeeping, human resources, operations, etc.—the terminology may differ a bit by industry, but the sentiments can be applied to all.

• ​What resources are available? Do they have access to things I don’t? Just like you don’t want to order something at a restaurant you can make better at home, don’t hire someone who is using the same tools you are or has the same strengths/weaknesses.
• Do they have a strategic long-term plan? You wouldn’t go to your clients without an idea of what you are offering them; you should expect the same from someone working for you.
• Do they offer me real ROI reporting, and are they honest about the process? Are they transparent from the beginning? Anyone boasting big results quickly isn’t about building your brand; they are about the big paycheck up front.

Using these points myself has allowed me to get my business to a point that I no longer have to take part in the day-to-day parts I’m not passionate about. It’s even given me free time for another opportunity with Dream Local Digital to help others. If you’re feeling this pressure too, I encourage you to reach out and start a conversation with us at Dream Local Digital. Let’s talk about your business needs and see if we’re the right fit to help relieve some of that pressure. If we’re not, I’ll do my best to point you toward someone who can help. Don’t shoulder it all alone. Take the next step and connect with someone who understands.