When you first started your fashion business, you may have been incredibly passionate about everything you were doing. You had a mind filled with designs, ideas, and plans. You were on track to do something big, and you couldn’t wait to get started!
Unfortunately, over time, that passion may wane. You may find yourself bogged down by the daily responsibilities associated with keeping your business running, or you might find yourself bored and disinterested in even the parts of your business that once brought you joy. You thought this was going to be an adventure, but it’s turned into a daily grind not so unlike any other business.
How can you reignite your passion and go back to the excitement you experienced in the beginning?
1. Take a look at what is bogging you down in the first place–and how you can help reduce it.
Many business owners struggle to complete specific tasks. As a fashion designer, for example, you might not enjoy the process of balancing your books, or you might hate managing your own marketing. Take a look at the tasks that are bogging you down and draining your passion.
In many cases, you can outsource those tasks relatively inexpensively. Look at the real cost of completing those tasks yourself. Keep in mind that your time is valuable, too. Then, determine whether you can hand those tasks over to someone else to increase your business’s efficiency and help you focus more on the tasks that only you can do.
2. Focus on the things that you really love about your fashion business.
If you’re constantly focusing on the things you don’t like about your business, it doesn’t take long for it to start to drag you down. When your thoughts center around all the things you don’t like to do, all the ways this isn’t working the way you expected, or how hard it’s been to see the success you had hoped for, you may find yourself thinking about throwing in the towel on a daily basis.
Instead, go back to the things you love most about your business. Think about what brought you into the fashion industry in the first place. Do you have a passion for style? Are you excited about creating new designs or about producing something unique? Do you love seeing models in the designs you have created or finding the perfect outfit for someone who didn’t think that there was a “perfect” solution for them?
Go back to what brought you into the fashion industry in the first place. Think about what brings you joy every day. Remind yourself of the reasons why you really do love your job. By focusing on those things, you’ll find that it’s easier to recapture that joy and dive back into the best parts of your business–and your passion will start to increase again.
3. Surround yourself with positive people.
The more negativity you experience related to your job, the more negative you will feel. Unfortunately, it’s often difficult for entrepreneurs, especially in the fashion industry, to get away from that negative commentary. Look for people who will build you up and who share your excitement about your fashion endeavor. Often, you will find that simply spending more time around positive people will change your perspective and help reignite your passion.
4. Do something a little different.
Have you been feeling lately like you’re stuck in a rut? Are all of your designs coming out the same? Does this year’s inventory look so much like last year’s that you’re ready to give up and throw in the towel?
Try doing something different. Try out a new design. Experiment with a color palette you haven’t used in the past. Use fabrics that don’t usually make their way into your designs. Check out new designers.
You might even choose to change your focus: if you usually design adult clothing, for example, now is a great time to add a line for kids. By trying something different, you can often reignite that creative spark and go back to what brought you into the industry in the first place.
5. Connect with a mentor.
Do you have a mentor: someone that you can trust to tell you the truth about how you’re doing in your business or what you might need to change in order to experience higher levels of success? Can you turn to your mentor for advice when you have a problem? Having someone that you know is on your side can make it much easier to keep that passion alive.
A good mentor can also help build you back up when you’re feeling down about your work and help you find your passion again, whether that means showing you the progress you are making or helping build you up when you need it most.
6. Take a break.
Entrepreneurs in general struggle with a high level of burnout. You may feel as though you have to be on all the time in order to accomplish your goals for your fashion business. Or you might catch yourself believing that if you do not keep pushing forward, even in the middle of intense periods of burnout, you will cause your business to fail.
Take a break. Schedule that vacation you have been putting off. Spend a few days catching up on the tasks that have piled up at home, especially if those tasks have started to become overwhelming. Take some time to focus on some of your other hobbies and passions. With a short break, you’ll often find that you are much better prepared to dive back in and tackle your business tasks with renewed passion.
Even the most passionate fashion entrepreneurs occasionally find themselves suffering from a lack of fervor. Fortunately, that burnt-out, unable to move forward feeling doesn’t have to last.
Instead of allowing it to continue, try some of these critical strategies to reignite your passion and turn your business from bland back into fabulous again. Who knows? You could find that you come back with a fresh breakthrough that could catapult you to new popularity across the industry.
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