Meagan Kerlin

Owning your own business can be an exciting adventure. Perhaps you’ve dreamed for years of working for yourself, being your own boss and using your talents to earn an income. While there are many positive aspects to being a solo entrepreneur, it can also be a lonely experience. Working for yourself probably means working alone, and after awhile, loneliness can start to take a toll on your mental health.

As an entrepreneur, you may have to find ways to combat loneliness. If you work on your own every day, one thing that may help is to find places to work outside of your home. Make phone calls at a local park, take your computer to a coffee shop or considering renting co-working space. This allows you get fresh air, be around people and have some social interaction. Even a few minutes of contact each day can make a significant difference in your battle against feeling alone.

Another thing that can help is to establish contact with other solo entrepreneurs. Through social media, you can connect with other people who also work for themselves or work in the same field that you do. Facebook groups and online communities can help you feel connected to others even though you are all far apart.

It is also important for you to foster hobbies and protect your social life outside of work. This is especially crucial if you work by yourself or work from home all day. Allow yourself the time to have a life outside of work and enjoy the richness that comes with strong relationships with friends and families. This is one of the most effective ways to fight loneliness, protect your mental health and allow you to maintain your peace of mind.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

No one likes to hear the word “no.” Whether someone passed over your suggestion or you didn’t get selected for something, it can be painful when you experience rejection. Even if you have thick skin and you aren’t afraid to try again, you may be surprised by the ways that fear of rejection can impact your decision-making and choices. Getting over this fear can help you move forward confidently and stop worrying about failure.

You know that business decisions are rarely personal, but that doesn’t mean you don’t experience the sting of rejection when you hear no. It can be especially painful when you expect a yes or you believe you deserve approval. Taking the personal aspect out of it isn’t easy. One way you can prepare yourself to deal with rejection is to acknowledge that it will probably happen at some point.

When you’re honest with yourself, you can face this possibility head-on and deal with it appropriately if it happens. Once you start to deal with the reality of rejection, you will be able to see the positive aspects of hearing no. It’s no fun to experience rejection, but something better could be around the corner. Use the pain to push yourself forward and keep asking for yes – it will come if you keep fighting for it.

It’s okay to feel disappointed over rejection, but it’s not okay to allow it to define you. One “no” has no bearing on your future, especially if you use it as a learning opportunity. Reframe how you think about rejection, and you will find yourself excited for the opportunity to grow, adjust, learn and look ahead. Rejection isn’t fun, but it’s not something to fear. Don’t let it play a role in how you chase your goals.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

Everyone wants comfort. One of the main reasons for your pursuit of success is so that you will have the time, money and resources to enjoy certain benefits, such as nice vacations, a larger home, your dream car and other things. Wanting to be successful is not a bad thing, but it could eventually lead to a place of complacency. This is rarely a positive situation, and you should be wary of growing too comfortable in where your business is, where you are and the level of success you’ve already reached.

One thing that might help is to reconsider your idea of success. When you first started chasing a specific goal, whether it was starting your own business or reaching a specific milestone, you probably weren’t comfortable. After all, your career or your financial stability was on the line. This sense of urgency pushed you forward, giving you the motivation you needed to pursue your dream. Once your business “makes it” or you reach that specific goal, you may be tempted to lay off the gas.

You may have a good profit margin, recognition and other things you consider markers of success, but you can enjoy these things without getting too comfortable. In fact, you may find that you actually thrive when you’re outside of your comfort zone. There can be a certain solace in routine, but it’s important to make sure that your routine is actually helping you accomplish something – not just spin your wheels.

It’s certainly okay to appreciate where you are today, and it’s fine to find a certain comfort in your routine. Just make sure that you aren’t so comfortable that you don’t set new goals and keep pushing for something new and better. Comfort can lead to complacency, which is not somewhere you want to be. So take steps today to make sure you don’t end up there.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

You worked hard to get to where you are now, and you put a lot of effort into helping your new business get off the ground. Thankfully, your effort paid off, and you’ve reached a place where you would consider your business a success. Now that you’re here, however, you want to avoid the tendency to coast. There are still goals to reach and challenges ahead, and complacency never pays off.

One way to avoid complacency is to listen to other voices regarding what you should do next. You may be the driving force behind the success of your company, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit from the input of others. Make space for your employees and others invested in the success of your business to have a say in how you move forward. Don’t miss out on the invaluable opinions and ideas others may have by failing to ask for feedback and input.

Another way to avoid complacency is to invite creative people into your business operations. If you’ve been doing the same thing for awhile, it may be time to think outside of your original box. While you’ve succeeded up to this point, a creative approach can help you see what you should do next. Implementing creativity into how your company works can be scary, especially if you are not a creative person naturally. Don’t be scared to color outside the lines a little.

Success is the product of a good idea, hard work and perseverance over time. Once you’ve obtained a certain level of success, it can be tempting to put your feet up and relax. While you should certainly enjoy what you’ve earned, you shouldn’t be content to stay there forever. Don’t allow your current success to keep you from moving forward, pushing ahead and chasing after new goals.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

One of the most important aspects of owning and operating a business is differentiating yourself from the competition. This is particularly true if you are operating a company in a crowded niche. You have to stand out from the crowd while staying true to your brand and the heart of your company – but how? You have to pinpoint some ways to differentiate your company and catch the attention of customers and clients.

An important aspect of differentiating your company is committing yourself to quality. There are too many companies that focus on quantity alone, overlooking the importance of quality. Simply focusing on the needs and expectations of your customers and striving to meet them will set your business apart. High-quality results will also give you good publicity because impressed customers and clients are going to tell others about what they experienced when they worked with your company.

Another way to differentiate your company from the rest is to listen carefully to what your customers want. Is your primary market concerned with speed and efficiency? You’ll need to deliver results fast. Do your clients want a very specific end result? Work diligently to meet those expectations. If you want to stand out from the competition, take the time to get to know what your clients really want and need.

Finally, you’ll differentiate your business from others by becoming the most convenient option. Find ways to make your company accessible, from having a well-built website to streamlining your transaction process. It shouldn’t be hard work to do business with your company. The easier the process is and the better the results are will make it more likely that happy clients will come back again and again.

Standing out from the crowd is important, and it’s probably not as difficult as you assume it will be. Think about ways you can deliver better results to your clients and make the process easier for them, and you’ll be the preferred provider in your niche.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

You are in a management position because of your leadership skills and your ability to guide your team. You worked hard to get in the position you are in, and you want to do your job well. The problem is, being in a management position or in any type of leadership role can leave you feeling overwhelmed. This doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of this job, but it may mean that you need to make a few adjustments to your leadership and management style.

Thankfully, a few small adjustments can help you feel better about your responsibilities and job duties. One thing to consider is adjusting your communication style. Think about how you talk with your team. Do you have too many meetings? Should you implement a better email system? Simple changes to how you exchange information can help you free up time, give you more mental space and help you feel less overwhelmed in your daily job duties.

Another tip for overwhelmed managers is using delegation. Delegating tasks empowers talented team members and can remove things from your plate. It can take time to figure out a system of how and when you need to delegate things, but this is one of the keys to good leadership. You can be a good manager without feeling like you have to do everything yourself.

As a leader, one of your jobs is to move your team forward and propel them toward the next goal. In order to do this, you need to be able to see the big picture, which can be difficult when you feel too overwhelmed with your daily job responsibilities. If you are struggling with seeing beyond today or this week, this may be a sign you need to make some adjustments. How can you change and adjust so that you can be a better manager and leader?

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

When some people leave for work in the morning, they are able to leave their personal lives behind and not enter back into that world until they return home that evening. There are others who actually work with family members and significant others, and sometimes it can be messy when personal relationships overlap with life in the workplace. If you work with someone you care about, you understand how important it is to know how to balance the personal aspects of your daily life with your work.

One thing that will help is to have clear and candid discussions with the other person about how to navigate this tricky situation well. Perhaps you are business partners and will have to make difficult decisions together, or maybe one of you holds a higher position than the other. These dynamics can be complicated when there are always personal feelings and complex relationships at play. Communication is crucial, both at home and in the workplace.

If you are with the same person everyday, it can begin to affect how that relationship works. It’s good to take breaks sometimes, perhaps going out with friends or enjoying hobbies alone. This can help you keep your personal relationship healthy, which in turn will make it easier to work together Monday through Friday.

One of the trickiest parts of working with someone you care about is when there are disagreements. In personal relationships, partners don’t always agree, and this can be the case in professional relationships as well. In the workplace, it is especially important for partners to keep it professional at all times. Keep personal feelings out of work-related discussions and disagreements. Otherwise, you may muddy the waters, making it difficult to reach any kind of practical and beneficial agreement.

Having some basic rules in place as to how you will handle personal relationships in the workplace can prove invaluable. These can lay the groundwork for a successful work life and peace in your personal life. It can take time and effort, but it is possible to work with a loved one or close friend and make it work well.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC