Optimism is all about being confident in your vision for the future and your ability to make that vision come to life. As an added bonus, optimism is contagious, so when the business owner has it, their employees, partners, and contractors will soon feel it, as well. This means that morale, productivity, creativity, and profits all go up because everyone has a bright attitude about the business. These ten thoughts can help give you a more optimistic outlook on your business' future, which helps ensure that it is a long and healthy one.
1. "We're Still Here."
Every day that you start working at your business, remember what it was like that very first day. Remember feeling optimistic about how much you could grow and all the great services or products you would be bringing to the market. Some businesses don't make it past that first day. Every day that you're operational, you've outlasted a slew of other companies trying to do the same thing.
2. "We're Different."
You probably got into your business because you saw an opening. Either there was no one around who offered what you do, or it was too slow, too costly, or too shoddy. If that's the case, take heart in knowing that your company is different. You stand out. You fill a void in your local market and you have everything you need to continue to do so in the future.
3. "We Can Switch Gears At Any Time."
Being in charge of a company, you do have a certain level of flexibility that isn't offered to those whom you employ. For instance, if a particular product is selling out repeatedly, even though you make other items, maybe your company's best bet is to focus more on making and promoting your best-selling product. Decisions like this are the kinds that often save companies who were trying to do too many things at one time for their size anyway. Understanding that you are never trapped, that you can always adjust with your market, can help give you a sense of certainty and power.
4. "We Can Make a Difference."
Having established a business in your community means that you have a platform for making a difference in the lives of those around you. You can mix your company's profitability with the sense of pride, accomplishment, and fraternity that comes from completing tasks for the greater good. For example, why not offer your staff the opportunity to volunteer at places like soup kitchens and blood drives? Your team grows more closely bonded, your employee morale goes up, and your business gets free publicity, all at the same time.
5. "I'm Not Alone."
Optimism can be difficult to muster when it seems like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. As a business owner, you can often become overwhelmed because of a lack of delegation. When you try to do too much by yourself, the pressure and strain on your time can be frustrating. Remember that you are not alone. If you don't have an assistant, hire one, or get someone to intern with you in exchange for a chance to learn and a job reference. If you have an assistant and are under-utilizing them, start trusting them. Slowly add a few more tasks to their plate each week or month so that you can begin to decompress and focus on leading the company to its big-picture goals, not managing the more trivial tasks.
6. "We're Not Alone."
As much as the leader of a company can feel overwhelmed, so can their entire staff. The accompanying feelings of uncertainty and powerlessness decrease morale and the quality of productivity. Instead, accept the idea that your company doesn't have to do everything by itself. It can contract out and partner with other agencies to offer complementary services. For instance, if doing all the planning for events booked for the various rental venues you have around town has your team overexerted, why not contract with an event planner who can handle details like catering and security while you worry about things like scheduling and building maintenance.
7. "Nothing is Impossible."
Optimism is a form of confidence--including the confidence to be creative and inventive. Sometimes you can sell yourself and your business short by not being open to all the possibilities that are around you. Having a negative attitude in which you believe that all you can ever do is what you've been doing all along can stunt the growth of your entire enterprise. Imagine if Apple stopped at their basic model of desktop computer. What kinds of software and devices would the world be lacking today? Always push for growth and innovation.
8. "Mistakes are Normal."
You put extra pressure on yourself and your business if you expect everything to operate flawlessly all the time. New and small business ventures are rife with growing pains, and reacting to each of these as though they are the end of the world as you know it is a recipe for disaster. When there's a glitch in a system or someone puts the wrong address on a package or a decimal ends up in the wrong place on an invoice, take a moment to breathe. Remember that mistakes are normal, even for well-established, global companies. As soon as possible, start taking steps to remedy the mistake and create preventative measures to keep it from happening again.
9. "We're Bigger Than This."
Hopefulness comes from knowing that no matter what happens, you'll pull through. It may not be easy, pleasant, or cheap, but you can live on to fight another day. Make decisions in your company always with the understanding that you are building a business that will withstand whatever comes. Proof your company against recessions, high unemployment rates, natural disasters, and internal flux. You've been bigger than all of those things up to this point. Have confidence that you will be, or can become, able to stand through any rough times in the future.
10. "There's Always Tomorrow."
No matter what happens in a business, there's always a new day to do, make, or provide something different. No matter how bad today was, you can use the lessons you've learned to construct a better tomorrow and a strong future for the rest of your company's existence.
Some people hold all of these thoughts in their head as a general attitude that they lean on in their personal and professional lives. They practically exude optimism. Others find it helpful to have notes or pictures around the office that remind them of these ideas. However you choose to use these thoughts, they can help you become a more confident, consistent, thoughtful leader and help your company thrive.
