10 Quotes to Inspire Small Business Owners During Challenging Times
As business owners, we all experience the roller coaster. At the beginning of the journey, we are excited, yet nervous. Then come the highs, the lows, the climb, the fall, the butterflies in the stomach and deep sighs of relief. Yet, we stay in the game because we believe in ourselves and we believe we can be successful, even in the middle of the lows.
Being a business owner is not for everyone, not everyone can tolerate the roller coaster ride. But, for those of us that are in this ride for the long run, we constantly need to be motivated and encouraged to keep us energized. Sometimes the lows are really tiring and can scare us, but we know we can climb again.
There are examples of people all over our world that have fallen but did not stay on the ground. They did not run away. They did not quit. Instead, they made a change in their mindset, their business model, their products, their services or their marketing techniques. They cleared the clutter, became more organized, improved their emotional intelligence, moved their location, or asked for help.
Unfortunately, unexpected events happen that are out of our control. These events can bring us down and can negatively affect our businesses. Fires, natural disasters, pandemics, economic decline, death, health issues, accidents, industry changes, and personal situations. These are certainly the lows in this roller coaster ride and can make us feel defeated. However, if you love your business and believe in what you offer, you can succeed even during these lows. I am not saying it will be easy. Climbing is rarely easy unless you are well trained. Climbing is tiring, but it strengthens you.
While we are climbing, we can learn from others who have beat the odds and make it to the top. Motivation and inspiration can help during these times. Take time to reflect on their words and see how you can apply them to your life and your business:
"When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor." - Elon Musk
“You shouldn’t focus on why you can’t do something, which is what most people do. You should focus on why perhaps you can, and be one of the exceptions.” - Steve Case
"I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance." - Steve Jobs
“Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” - Michael Jordan
“My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had — every day I’m learning something new.” -Richard Branson
“I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars — I look for 1-foot bars that I can step over.” - Warren Buffett
“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” - Jeff Bezos
"When you’re backed into a corner with seemingly no way out...it’s the most creative you’ll ever be." - Dale Crighton
"When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters -- one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity." - John F. Kennedy
"Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough." - Elon Musk
Challenges come. This is true for sign shop owners, for print shops, for custom vehicle graphics companies and all other small businesses. With creativity, innovation, foward thinking, hard work, and motivation, you can rise above these challenges.