Motivation for business owners
As a small business owner, finding motivation to move your business forward can be one of the most challenging things you face.
In this blog I’ve done a bit of investigating and am sharing with you some very top level insights into the science of motivation - and how that can be translated into your world to help you do more of the right stuff in a way that feels good!
The Essence of Motivation:
Motivation is a key driver for any solo entrepreneur, and understanding its core principles can be incredibly powerful. Here's a quick look at what the experts have said:
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Maslow outlined a progression of needs that motivate human behaviour, starting with basic physiological needs and moving up to safety, social belonging, esteem, and finally self-actualization, where personal full potential is realised.
Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory: Herzberg identified two sets of factors that influence motivation at work. One set, called hygiene factors, includes Income and work conditions – these do not motivate, but if they are inadequate, they can cause dissatisfaction. The other set, motivators, includes aspects like recognition and challenging work, which can truly motivate and increase job satisfaction.
McClelland's Theory of Needs: McClelland focused on three needs: the need for achievement, the need for affiliation, and the need for power. He suggested that individuals are motivated by a desire to excel, a desire to form and maintain social relationships, and a desire to influence others.
Tailored Motivation Tactics for the Solopreneur
As a solo entrepreneur, understanding these theories can help you identify what drives you and how to structure your work to meet your motivational needs. So basically - figuring out what drives you means you can do more of it. Unlike in larger organisations where external incentives can drive performance, you rely on self-motivation to navigate the ups and downs of your business.
Here are some simple strategies, derived from the motivational theories above, to help you stay driven and achieve your aspirations.:
Your environment: Create a workspace that sparks joy and efficiency. Your environment should be a launchpad for productivity, somewhere you actually want to be. Or get out to get inspiration from new work spaces!
Celebrate: When you hit a milestone, celebrate it! You deserve it!
Build a network for support: Connect with other business owners. A coffee chat or Instagram comment can make all the difference to your motivational mojo
Skill Up: Keep learning so you don’t stagnate. That could be through informal interactions with others or online courses, webinars, podcasts etc.
Maximising Your Motivation:
Stay accountable: Find a way to make yourself accountable - you could do this by joining a focus programme like this or working with a mentor
Reflect: Take a minute to think about what gets you out of bed in the morning and infuse more of that into your business. If you can streamline and stop procrastinating on “the other stuff”, you can make that easier to achieve.
Reward: Reward yourself for getting that good stuff done!
Connect: Build your tribe. Other entrepreneurs can be your cheerleaders, sounding boards, and sometimes, your reality check.
Bin Distractions: Put that phone away, switch off those notification and focus on working on one thing!
So by understanding all the different elements that drive you, and how to harness it all, you'll not only survive, thrive.
A theme across all the theories is participation and being part of a cohort. We are missing that often as solopreneurs. It’s why I started my coworking club for Female Founders. If you live in the south Manchester Area I would love to see you there
For those not local to me I run other other programmes and groups that serve a similar purpose: take a browse for connection and accountability too
