Feeling Stuck in Your Small Business? 

Starting and running a small business can feel like a whirlwind of excitement and challenges. There are days when everything is running smoothly and you feel like a boss, and then there are times when all the effort seems to yield little progress, leaving you feeling like you’re spinning your wheels. We’ve all been there. We know we need to do something to get out of the rut, but pinpointing what that something is can often feel overwhelming. 

When faced with this frustration, it’s essential to rely on facts rather than emotions to chart a clear path forward. Here’s how you can navigate this phase using practical strategies and leveraging the tools within 17hats to regain momentum.

Step 1: Ground Yourself in Facts

First, it’s crucial to ground ourselves in facts rather than feelings. Facts are objective, meaning they have verifiable values, whereas feelings are subjective, meaning they vary from person to person and situationally. 

Assess your current business situation objectively:

• Financial Metrics: Review the Bookkeeping portion of your 17hats account and view your Client/Product Sales Report, Profit and Loss Report, and Upcoming Receivables Report. Identify any trends or areas where you can optimize expenses or increase revenue.

• Customer Feedback: Look at customer satisfaction metrics through reviews, and feedback. Identify patterns in customer complaints or praises to understand what’s working and what needs improvement.

• Operational Efficiency: Evaluate your business processes from lead generation to customer service. Are there bottlenecks or inefficiencies that are hindering growth?

By understanding these facts, you can pinpoint specific areas needing attention and avoid the trap of general frustration. Once you have this step completed, move on to Step 2. 

Step 2: Leverage the 17hats Platform and Resources

As a small business owner, utilizing your 17hats membership can streamline your operations and free up valuable time. 17hats automation also allows you the opportunity to provide your clients with a great experience that may otherwise be unachievable. If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels and need a boost out of your business rut, here are some resources that can help:

17hats University and Help Articles

• Training Resources: Take advantage of webinars, tutorials, and guides offered by 17hats University. Learn about advanced features like Online Scheduling or Workflows, as well as best practices that could streamline your process.
• Help Articles: Refer to detailed help articles for quick troubleshooting or to learn new features. Stay updated with the latest updates and improvements to the platform.

17hats Marketplace

• Explore the 17hats Marketplace for installable Documents, Online Scheduling, and Workflow templates that can complement your business needs. Whether it’s Lead Capture Forms with Auto Responders or Online Scheduling Services that can be directly embedded on your website, the Marketplace offers items that can move your business forward.

Support and Community

• Support: Reach out our live 17hats Support team through the green chat button in the bottom right corner of your screen for technical assistance or any questions regarding the platform. They can provide personalized guidance to address your specific challenges.

• Facebook Community: Join the official 17hats Facebook Community to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners. Share experiences and tips to learn from others facing similar challenges.

“Almost everything with 17hats is pretty easy to figure out and set up, but for the few times I do have questions, someone was always able to answer me incredibly quickly. Customer service is phenomenal!

Seriously, the 17hats team makes the user feel like a friend. I’ve seen people ask about 17hats vs other similar CRM systems, and I always rave about the 17hats customer service. To me, that’s number 1 with services like this. It frees up more of our time to do more of what we love to do!” — Derek K.

Step 3 – Stay in Tune with Your Business

The best way to stay on track with your business is to continually stay in tune with your business. Challenges will happen. That’s part of the highs and lows of small-business ownership! Just remember that every challenge is an opportunity to learn and improve—so stay proactive and persistent in pursuing your business goals. 

Ultimately, feeling stuck in your small business is a common hurdle, but it’s one that can be overcome with the right approach. By focusing on facts, leveraging 17hats, and tapping into supportive resources such as 17hats University, Marketplace, and the Facebook Community, you can regain momentum and steer your business toward growth. Onward and Upward! 🎉

Highlighted 17hats Marketplace Item

Balloon Delivery Order Workflow by Nicole Larson
Lead Capture Form, Quote template, and Workflow for balloon delivery orders! After you confirm your availability and send the Quote template, your customer makes their choices on the Quote, pays, and the Workflow is set to automate all the way through the “thank you” email!