This post is mostly for business owners, so I know I'm preaching to the choir when I say this, but it's hard being your own boss sometimes. For me, the hardest part is staying positive. This is especially true for the slower times of the year, but sometimes it's hard to stay positive even when I'm getting a lot of work. I don't know if running a business is like this for other people out there, but being a photographer can be a pretty ridiculous emotional roller coaster. I get discouraged and wonder if I should look for a "real job" when I haven't shot any photos for an extended period of time, then go into euphoria once I set something up, and then go back down after a few days. 

This post is incredibly depressing so far, but hold on! When I'm feeling low about being a business owner (which is usually during the winter/slower times), I find "pick-me-ups" help a lot.  I'm sure there's at least one other business owner out there who experiences similar doubts about what they're doing from time to time, so I decided to make a post with some links to some of my go-to pick-me-ups, as well as some reminders and tips to help keep business owners positive. 

When I need a pick-me-up, one of the things I do is watch videos or read articles about how to be a business owner. Usually, the video or article will tell me to do something I'm already doing, and I find this is usually a huge moral booster. A search will bring up plenty of results for you to read through if you think this is something that would work for you.

I also like to remind myself of the reality of running a business. Success doesn't happen overnight. Owning a business is a process that will probably take years. I once heard it takes about a year for someone to hire a photographer after first hearing about them. I'm sure the time it takes for someone to hear about a business and then to become a client/customer is shorter for some businesses, but I feel this is probably still relevant to some degree. I always want someone to hear about me and hire me immediately, but that's not how it works. 

I also think it's important for business owners to think about the progress they've made. I might not be where I want yet, but looking back to 2012 when I first started I've made exponential progress. It's important to focus on where you want to be, but it's also important to think about where you were. In 2012, I would have never imagined I would be where I am now as a business owner. I also forget the fact that I've made any money at all and have clients is a pretty big accomplishment by itself.

For videos, I like to watch stuff from Chase Jarvis/CreativeLive. I think some of the videos might be relevant to more than just creatives, but I'm probably a terrible judge. 

Here are links:

https://www.youtube.com/user/creativelive

https://www.youtube.com/user/achaser123

I read this article yesterday when I first started this post. It was fate. 

http://blog.creativelive.com/advice-motivate-get-shit-done/?utm_campaign=advice-motivate-get-shit-done/&utm_medium=social&utm_source=cjfacebook&utm_content=&utm_term=

I hope this post helps any business owners who are feeling discouraged. It's important that you keep chipping away and stick with it for as long as you can. There may be times when being a successful business owner seem slim, but the only way you'll ever have a 0% chance of success is if you give up.