Have you ever stopped to consider why you’re working so hard? Yes, there’s a lot to do. Yes, people are counting on you. And yes, you have bills to pay. And yet something about this business is serving you at a deeper level. At least . . . it should be.

By years three through five, business owners who’ve survived that long typically see some revenue consistency. The initial madness has settled into a routine. For most business owners, that looks like a lot more work and a lot less life. They start to question what they’re doing it all for. Is it really worth all this extra work just to say you own a business? All your friends who work a standard eight-to-five get to check out at the end of the day. And they get paid for overtime, holidays and have benefits. Where’s your reward for working double the hours?

The problem is, at the start, you don’t mind working seven days a week. You love your business. Maybe your business feeds your family, even feeds your soul in some way. You pour your heart into your company. Then one day, you realize you feel tired. And trapped. And you don’t have the energy to build the systems that set you free. Because the reward of doing a good job has worn off. It wasn’t enough to sustain your energy long term. You need more.

We business owners often don’t think about what we need. We’re too busy thinking about what the business needs instead, from customers and vendors to employees and interns. When you board an airplane, they tell you that in the event of an emergency you need to put your oxygen mask on first before you put it on a child so that you, the adult, are clear and rational as you’re taking care of others. You can’t take care of the child if you try to put their oxygen mask on, can’t figure it out, and pass out halfway through. Then you’re both in danger. Put on your own mask first so you’re able to take your time rescuing others.

It’s the same in business. You’re the leader. If you don’t get your mask on first, you’re frantic and fumbling as you attempt to care for others. You won’t think clearly, you’ll make mistakes, and you’ll end up failing everyone involved. You’ll be like Raj when we met, about ready to close up shop and send everyone home because he felt so miserable.

It’s normal to forget your big “why.” I often ask entrepreneurs, “What made you believe it was important to own your business instead of working for someone else? What was your ‘why’?” If we haven’t yet begun to organize their operations, I get a blank stare. And a confession.

“I don’t remember. What the f— was I thinking?”

It’s time to remember.

Your Reward Is Still There

With a strong enough reward driving you, you can endure through the years and build a thriving business. We’ve established that it’s not enough to show a profit on the books at year’s end if you, the owner, feel broke in bank, body, and spirit. There is no reason to work double the hours of a full-time employee, earn less money, and have no fun.

It’s all too common to be paid less than market wage or no wage at all when you own a business. Even worse, many business owners never take any substantial time off. They never rest, never earn, and then wonder why they burn out and feel like giving up.

At the very least, you need to be getting something of personal value as a reward for all your hard work. That reward may be owning the car of your dreams, taking annual vacations with your family, or even just being able to take a week off every Christmas holiday season. Saving money in your own account for your personal future use can be a great motivator for days when things are hard. As long as you keep a good record of it. Never underestimate the power of watching your personal fortune grow.

When talking about personal motivation in business, entrepreneurs like Raj have admitted how rewarding themselves worsens the misery.

“But Beverlee, how does this even apply to me?” they’ll say. “There is no money. I can’t take a bonus . . . I can’t even cash my own paychecks!”

If this is the case for you, I encourage you to decide if how you are spending your time is worth the effort. If you’re truly miserable and turning zero profit after many years of investment, you may be happier working for someone else.

However, chances are, the money is there. It’s just being spent on other things that may be perceived as more important. Maybe you’re pouring your paychecks back into the system to pay out employee bonuses or fund your advertising. Refer back to Chapter 5. Take a second look at your books—find where your paychecks are going. You can only go so long without getting paid or having time off. Your company is only as strong as you feel. And we want you to feel happy, healthy, and well-compensated.

Owning a small business is one of the most demanding jobs on the planet. There’s no getting around that truth. It is essential to decide what you want to get out of owning this company, or you will end up resenting it.

What’s that for you? Let’s refresh your memory as we refuel your entrepreneurial spirit.

Six Steps to Claim Your Reward

There’s a standard operating procedure for everything. Here’s one to find what will motivate you all over again to keep your business going.

1. Remember What Drives You

There was a reason you made the choice to become a business owner. What made you start your business in the first place? Why did you decide working for someone else wasn’t going to meet your needs? What did you need to prove to yourself? Were you looking for freedom? Was it your passion for your industry?

What makes you wake up feeling energetic? What tasks or events or relationships make you feel enthusiastic about the day? What or who ignites your fire?

Beyond that, what makes you happy? If you’re not happy, what specific change would it take to become happy?

I asked Raj, “How would your life change if your company was consistently turning a bigger profit every month?”

His answer told him what he needed. He’d have enough money and time to enjoy the fruits of his labor by caring for his family and himself. In the same way, ask yourself what would change if you suddenly had ample money flowing in. What would you do differently? That answer is what motivates you.

If you are honest with yourself, you will be able to find the things that make you happy, give you energy, and keep you going. Find your motivators first.

2. Re-Integrate Company and Personal Goals

Aligning your business purpose with your life purpose brings the greatest rewards of all. If your personal goal is to spend as much time at home with your children as possible, but your business keeps you at the office sixteen hours a day, your two goals are in opposition. You can only succeed in business at the expense of your personal goals.

Finding ways to align your personal and business goals is key for long-term sustainability. That doesn’t mean everything is perfectly balanced, it just means you’re working toward your personal goals by way of your business goals.

Maybe you’re working more than you’d like now, and your personal goals are suffering. Take a step back with a coach or friend to honestly look at your current business model, what needs to shift? What system changes would give you more time off and more money to spend with your family while you’re together, so that you can unify your personal and business goals.

Some people also include personal causes and community drives in their business. They want to make money, and they also want to help people while they’re doing it. If that’s you, it might help your overall motivation to figure out how your business is helping people. You might need to make some changes, or even add community events you haven’t thought of yet, as a way of including your personal need to help others.

3. Redefine What You Want

Now is not the time to be shy. Your business success is counting on you. List what you personally want to have from being the owner of your company.

If you were happy right now, what would that look like? For Raj, that was an extra $500 per month to spend on himself and save toward little things that made him happy. 

Describe your perfect life. What does that feel like? What do you need? How will you know when you’ve “made it”? What will be different from how things are right now? Use phrases like “I have,” “I am,” and “I get to.” These give clear present tense directions.

• “I am spending time with my children.”
• “I am saving money from the business so my kids won’t need to take out huge student loans.”
• “I get to help my community by providing low-cost service alternatives.”

Your answers are your goals. These are what you’re trying to achieve.

4. Tell Yourself the Truth

Now that you know your goals, can your current situation meet them? Does running a business in your current industry allow for the possibility of meeting those goals better than working a standard job? If the answer is no, then talk to someone who can help you decide if you should even be doing this.

Let’s say you want to keep running your own business. But your current situation looks impossible to ever meet your goals. You can’t keep living across purposes. What needs to change about your company? Maybe the company needs to go in a different direction. Or maybe you need to find a place where you can meet your own goals, even if that means working for someone else for a while.

Be honest with yourself. What changes need to happen to clear the obstacles from your path?

5. Design a Personal Reward System

To keep running this business, you need to have the energy and enthusiasm to keep going. And you have to find a way to make your own dreams come true. After all, you are the boss.

Write down the steps you’ll need to take for those two things to happen. If your goal is to build a nest egg to buy a home, you might start with opening a business savings account and putting money aside every week for a dream house. Think of it like a lease payment to a supplier. Make it a fixed cost, put that money away no matter what, and watch it grow.

If money is not the issue, and you need time away, then book that time off. Don’t wait and find a way to make it work. Schedule the time off, and start putting things in place right now so that you can get away.

Figure out the steps you need to make your goals come to life. Write them down, then start doing them.

6. Accept Your Reward

This is the part where you actually put yourself first. Too many business owners write themselves a paycheck but refuse to cash it.

It’s time to start cashing your personal checks to yourself. Try it. You will be surprised at how much better you will feel after a holiday with your family or a whole weekend off to do one of your hobbies. A business owner who resents their own business is not going to grow that business to its fullest potential. You are a better businessperson when you’re happy, rested, and fulfilled. You’ll make more money by spending money on yourself than you will be cutting every pleasure out of your life.

Whatever it is that you need to be happy in this life, make sure you include this in your business plan. This will help you earn more in the long run.

Whatever You Want . . . Go Get It

You don’t have to cut back from sixty hours to thirty next week, or plan to take next month entirely off. Rewarding yourself could start with something as simple as taking every Friday afternoon off to hang out with your kids or go golfing with old buddies. Or setting aside money to get out of the apartment you hate and buy your dream home. Maybe even owning that 68 Chevelle Convertible that you have always dreamed of. That could require raising prices or lowering other non-essential costs so that some of your hard-earned revenue can actually land in your wallet. If that’s what it takes, make it happen.

Decide what you personally want to receive from being the owner of your company. And it doesn’t have to be huge goals. You can have lots of small goals, too! Experiment with small and large reward ideas. For example, if the thought of a month away from your business sends you into a panic, plan for one week. One week of no customer emails, employee phone calls, or fires to put out. Just rest and relaxation.

When you define your goals, describe how you and your family benefit from your rewards. When you imagine this personal goal achieved, how do you feel? What does that motivate you to do in your business? Do you feel that old fire waking up again? That’s the power of rewards.

Whatever reward you want—whether that’s taking August off two years from now or saving enough cash for the purchase of a lifetime—you can plan your personal reward so it becomes a reality. Pick your goal and then prepare, prepare, prepare. Ask lots of questions.

• When do you want to achieve it?
• What tasks do you need to delegate?
• What systems do you need to build?
• How much cash do you need to set aside for yourself? How will you measure your progress to ensure you are rewarded as needed?
• Who will keep you accountable for rewarding yourself when you get wrapped up in the business and feel like you can’t cash your own paycheck?

Building your rewards into your company will ensure you actually want to run your company. If you never paid an employee, they’d never come back! So treat yourself like a valuable employee. Motivate yourself with the rewards you need to feel fulfilled.

And once you start rewarding yourself, get ready. Because your motivation will go through the roof. That means increased energy at work, accelerated company growth, and bigger profits.

When you think about it like that, you can’t afford not to reward yourself.

You deserve a business that rewards you for all the time, energy, and heart you pour into it. Whether it’s taking a long-overdue vacation, saving for a big goal, or simply reigniting your passion for what you do, it all starts with a plan. The Successful Business Field Guide by Beverlee Rasmussen gives you the tools to create that plan. It’s a straightforward guide to building systems, delegating tasks, and structuring your business so you can enjoy the rewards you’ve worked so hard for. Don’t wait—start creating the business (and life) you’ve always wanted. Pick up your copy today.