I’m sorry if this sounds like one of those awful motivational posters or memes – you know the ones “never ever give up” or those cartoons where the guy stops digging just before he gets to the diamonds.

They’re silly and they ignore the fact that sometimes (if you’re on the wrong path) you should give up. 

One of the realities of success, though, is that you’re unlikely to get it without having to push through some difficult times, times where it feels like it’s not working, times where you feel like you’re stuck, spinning your wheels; wasting your time. 

Or when it’s just hard f****** work. Your motivation is going to suffer and you’re going to wonder if it’s worth the effort (there’s effort involved in this, there always is – if it was easy, everyone would be doing it).

I’m constantly meeting tradies who give me versions of “I tried going big but it wasn’t worth it – was too hard to make money, staff don’t help you, people don’t pay, whatever”.

And, of course, that’s not true – there are successful bigger trade businesses everywhere you look. Those guys didn’t do it right away or give up too early.

Those successful people – the ones with successful businesses and happy lives; very probably pushed through some difficult times.

As an aside, I know there are examples of people who seem to have had overnight success but in almost every case those examples had something else going on 

• a disruptive market opportunity perhaps (think regulatory change or something like crypto); 
• or they took a really big gamble and won or they had access to parts of money or they cheated (broke the law).

But most of the moderately successful businesses you see (and most of the ones with something special going on too) spent some time working a plan and pushed through.

Jeff Bezoz said “every overnight success takes 10 years”, (I googled it – lots of people said it) very few successful people got where they are now without some grind, some persistence and some resilience. 

The point I’m getting to is that if you want to grow your business and build a beautiful, systematised, profitable business with people in their jobs doing a good job, you’ll find that you go through hard periods – times where you don’t feel like doing the work. Or you don’t feel like it’s working, or you’re not making progress and you want to give up.

So it’s good to think about what you can do to help yourself when this inevitably happens. Perhaps when it happens over and over again.

(It happens to me at least once a week)

I’ve written ‘Jon’s Guide To Not Giving Up’ and you can have it if you want it.

It addresses some of the feelings you’ll be having:

• The feeling like you’re not making progress, that all this effort isn’t working or will never work.
• You might be experiencing a truth – that progress doesn’t happen consistently; in a straight line but in fits and starts.
• You might not know if you’re doing the right stuff if you’re wasting your time.
• You might be feeling lonely and getting no feedback from anyone who knows what you’re dealing with. (This is more common than you think.) Your employees don’t really get it, your partner probably doesn’t so unless your mates are also running a business and trying to grow it like you, then you’re on your own. This is hard. You can find you’ve got nobody to talk to or balance your thoughts off – it doesn’t help your motivation.

(So get the guide – Comment Kate Bush and we’ll send it to you).

(You’ll get it if you’re old. Otherwise)  

Here’s a summary of the guide:

1. Have a plan in the first place 

I know it sounds obvious but most of the people who give up on growing didn’t really have a plan, they were winging it. So create a plan, write it down and do the things in it.

Note that they’re very likely different from the things you’ve been doing to get you here. You’re going to have to do new things.

In our coaching program (which is helpfully called the Tradies Toolbox Coaching Program) that’s the first thing you’ll do.

2. Check in with your plan periodically 

Are you on track, are you completing stuff, what should you do next? We do this quarterly in our Quarterly Intensive Workshop.

3. Measure your progress.

You need to know it’s working so measure. Measure your progress in doing the jobs in your plan (like I just said) and measure revenue and profitability, the hours you’re working and whatever else is an indicator of what you’re trying to achieve.

We measure the money monthly in our monthly money check-in and track it in our Big Numbers Tracker. (This stuff is important).

4. Get support, join a community.

Compare your progress with other people doing the same stuff. If your mates aren’t doing it, seek out some others to talk to. 

Part of our program is exactly this. You’ll be part of a community of other trades business owners on exactly the same journey you’re on.

5. Last one. Don’t forget your playing a long game here. 

Don’t forget you’ve set a 3 yr goal. Don’t get caught up in short-term thinking and immediate issues. Keep moving toward that goal.

*** Remember, this is advice to help you stick it out with regard to your business growth plans – especially when the going gets tough and it feels easier to stop.

It’s going to get hard at points. You’re going to feel like giving up.