I'm feeling a physical and psychological adversion to working on promoting my dance instruction business. Why?

Question

My new dance instruction business was going really well during the early part of the year. Now it's taken an 80% dive because of the holidays. I teach private and semi-private group lessons at a home studio. This is my first year doing this full-time so I'm feeling the significant drop in students. I was pretty depressed for a couple of weeks and just took the time to have fun. Now, I need to work on more promoting and marketing but I'm feeling a physical and psychological adversion to doing it.

What I've done in the past was just post on Craigslist to get business and was doing really well. It kept me busy and I know I was really lucky not having to advertise anywhere else to drum up business. I know this is a seasonal trend because a friend has been doing this full-time for many years. I know I need to keep promoting like adding other ad listings on other websites, passing out flyers and giving out gift certificates and such to drum up more business during this difficult period.

But I'm feeling physically ill like I have this terrible sick feeling in my stomach and my body and head hurts. So, psychologically I'm avoiding all the tasks and building my website to promote further. I feel like I'm so out of my comfort zone and it feels like it's so darn hard.

Have you ever felt like this working on your own small business or any other tasks you had to do and felt this adversion or reaction to? If so, what are some things you did to overcome or help to ease the feelings to move on and work on what you needed to do. Any helpful advice is appreciated. (No wisecracks are needed.) Thank you.

Answer 1

I too have gone through these periods with my businesses where I find I just can't do what it takes to get it up and running. I think it's because you have doubts (subconscious) about what you are doing. It no longer lights the fire in your belly so you have forgotten your "Why's".
On two occasions, I ended up folding the business because I just couldn't see the vision that I had originally come up with.
I started a new business in April of this year and was blown away by the product I was to start marketing....I realize this is a bit different than what you do, but still offering people a service.
When I started this new one, I was quick to write down my "Why's" and keep them handy so I can revisit them each day.
I then wrote down my goals, which we've all heard many times before, but trust me, it really works. I broke the goals down into monthly, weekly and daily tasks and just went about doing what needed to be done as though I were working for someone else.

I also purchased a book that I highly recommend to absolutely everyone, it's called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T Harv Eker. What this book has done for me quadruples what every other book I read pertaining to business ever did!
Not only does it apply to your income and finances, but you can use the concepts in every area of your life. It really made me stop and look at the positive side of life and quit making excuses where my business was concerned.
I now surround myself with successful people and really pay attention to what they do....I have a completely different mindset now and my business is exploding!
Sometimes you have to really sit down and take stock of what you are doing and try to picture where you will be in a year from now, 2 years, 5 years, etc. If you don't see the vision, then you need to look for it perhaps with something else.
I hope this helps, I really know what you are feeling right now, but there are some simple steps to help you recover your thoughts.

Answer 2

When I first started my own business I felt EXACTLY like that. All of a sudden you have responsibilities that you didn't have before, things like OVERHEAD. When business is good, you don't have to worry about paying your mortgage for your house and the lease for your business space. When business falls (seasonal though it may be) you get scared. (For me, scared always equal puking... ugh!)

When it comes to doing promotions, advertising costs money, and when money is scarce you want to spend it on things like food and shelter. Not $600 a month on a yellow page advertisement. And $1,500 on a newpaper ad.

So.. how to get past the sick feeling? I don't really know, because it always comes back when things are slow. The key is to keep plugging along. When times get better, spend some money then. Just start slowly with your advertising and work up to more later.

To use a couple cliches, it is true that you have to spend money to make money, but it is also true that you can bite off more than you can chew.

You may want to check out your local http://www.score.org (service corps of retired executives) They are a free service and may be able to help you with your marketing doldrums. If you were more excited by your method of marketing and thought it would pay off, you'd probably be more willing to put in the effort and money.

Answer 3

My business goes thru it as well.It is an awful feeling and can be very counter productive.What I do is try to use this time for research and development for my products as well as how I do Biz.I always rember this,put your head down and just do it,worrying yourself won't help.I'm not saying,don't be concerned.You may need to reflect on times that you were starting up and how excited you were when things were going great. My mother says I'm just like a gambler,good times are great and bad times are terrible,but it always gets better.When you feel like you have hit the bottom,just think about how the only way you can go now is up!I wish you all the luck in the world,please don't feel all alone cause you aren't.

Answer 4

No. they don't experience the experience like we people do. it really is because we've a established apprehensive equipment operating by our vertebra (backbone) which sends messages to our mind. which means if if our leg is damage, we experience the discomfort on the best mind. on the different hand, the insects are non-vertebra and they don't have established apprehensive equipment. subsequently if an ant's leg is beaten, in basic terms the leg will experience close by discomfort. besides, their discomfort value is short, considering that they produce large type of off springs and their existence is short. they could also reproduce their lost organs. that is been said that in case you decrease a cockroach's head, that is going to die after a month through ravenous. Scientists have decrease a lobster's leg and feed him, which he ate. it really is likewise authentic that except for people no different animal is conventional with of its existence.

Answer 5

I do not know exactly how you feel, but could I suggest that you seek out a mentor - someone to bounce ideas off, and to moan about your business to. I think being self-employed, and succeeding at it, is as much about pyshological strength and having a positive attitude as anything else.

I do go through lows in my own business when I feel bogged down with tasks and mentoring is what I think I need to get round it.