With Valentine’s Day just around the corner along with spring, how passionate are you about your business?

Has it become a “bad marriage?”

Is there hope of rekindling the passion you once had when you first started your business?

Are You Thinking About Giving Up?

Almost daily, I hear from business owners who aren’t sure whether or not to “cut their losses” and run or hang in there for the long haul.  Sound familiar?

These are the business owners who have found “their thang” and have been working for a couple of years.  Sometimes after a couple of years it does become time to step back and re-evaluate what is happening in the present.  Also, it may be a time to remember the reason that you went into business for yourself.  No matter where you were on the age spectrum, when you started your business, all business owners go through this.

I liken it to the old adage that the grass is always greener on the other side.  To that, I always like to respond that yes, the grass is sometimes greener on the other side, but it still needs mowing.  In other words, it is still going to take maintenance to make it work.  All relationships including the one between you and your business need maintenance.

What Are The 7 Reasons That You Have Lost Passion For Your Business?

Here are the reasons, I believe, that we lose passion for our businesses.  I will elaborate on each one separately:

• You do not charge enough for your services.
• You do not reach out to the business community (online or offline).
• You do not serve the clients that value your services.
• You do not serve the correct industry or target market.
• You do not offer skills or services that you enjoy.
• You do not manage your time until you are overwhelmed.
• You do not believe that you are doing as well as everyone else.

So, Let’s Elaborate on Why We’ve Lost Passion For Our Business

You do not charge enough for your services.  While you may be passionate about you business after a while, you are going to get burnt out working too many hours to make enough to live on.  Also, when you do not charge enough, you devalue ourselves and our individual talents and gifts.  When you get to the point that you can no longer pay our bills, you begin to lose hope and no longer want to continue.  Your self-esteem will be at an all-time low.

You know the old saying that money cannot buy love.  True, but it can certainly put you in a good bargaining position.  So get into a good bargaining position, and start charging more.

You do not reach out to the business community (online or offline).  Barbara Sher, bestselling author and coach, likes to say that isolation is the killer of dreams.  When feeling alone or isolated, are you “connecting” with your networks about a business issue?  Are you taking advantage of the camaraderie there?

Part of business is connecting and serving.  There are no “lone ranger” corporations or solo-practices either.

You do not serve the clients that value your services.  This is a big one.  If a client does not want to pay for your services or place a value on what you offer, find a client who does.  Remember the childhood story about the “ugly duckling” that was really a swan?  Well, you are a swan, and those that don’t value that need to retreat to a different lake or different scenery.

You do not serve the correct industry or target market.  This is a huge mistake.  So many times, it’s easier to want to reach the industry with the most money.  However, sometimes with big money comes big headaches.  This may not be a fit for you.  Find ways to serve the market or at least part of the market that you are passionate about.  They will also be blessed and better served by your offers even if you have to serve them in larger numbers (teleseminars and teleconferences).

You do not offer skills and services that you enjoy.  Like a new perfume on a romantic night, you can get excited again.  You can get passionate again.  Find a new skill to add to your skills offered list and get excited.  Find new ways to serve the target market, which most excites you.

You do not honor you time until you are overwhelmed.  You try to do too much in too short of a period of time.  Just like bills, kids, careers, and commitments take their toll on a marriage – you need a get away.  Why not have a “date night” with your business?  Sign up for a seminar, workshop or Chamber of Commerce event.  Get out of your home office and off of your computer!

You do not believe that you are doing as well as everyone else.  Before you begin entertaining an “affair” outside of your business or with another business idea, ask why are those other businesses thriving?  Do they market regularly, do they have a fan page on Facebook, do they regularly post articles online?  Find out what keeps the “romance” burning for their business.

Putting the Passion Back Into Your Business

One of the main things that you can do is to learn to appreciate your business accomplishments and look back every month and name one thing that you actually did accomplish.  It does not have to be major–just a something that you have been putting off indefinitely such as cleaning out your offline file cabinet or ordering new business cards.

Probably, the second thing would be to be in the present and learn to focus on that is at hand.  Really focusing on that is going on in the present with the task at hand and the technology, skills and people involved.  Too many times, we are constantly moving on the next project, the next day, and the next item on our to-do list.  According to Emma Seppala, author of The Happiness Track, there is a definite connection between mindfulness, happiness, and success.  It is almost impossible to separate the three in order to be successful in business.

If you are really struggling to focus, then there is probably a reason for that as well.  There is an article here about that too.

In Conclusion

I think you’ll find that once again, you can get passionate about your business.  Once again, find a reason to get out of bed.  Despite what Forrest Gump said about life being like a box of chocolates, and you’ll never know what you’ll get.  You’ll be just as passionate about the chocolate covered caramels as you are about the chocolate covered raspberry creams.  Why?  Because you chose them with a passion.  Your business passion.  You are once more in control.

There is only one you, so why not BE you and offer your own “bouquet” of authenticity and unique skills to your work.