As I mentioned previously I was asked to do a post on what helps motivate people, myself included, when they are starting up a business. I asked for answers and I was amazed by the results, a large number of you wrote in with emails on the subject, thanks!

Between the information you have all sent in, and my own thoughts and research I have enough material for a couple of articles… so expect some more on this over the next week.

The first thing you have to consider when you are looking at where to get your motivation from is where you previously got it. Obvious I know, but if you are lacking motivation then presumably you lost it somewhere, even if only for a moment.

The trick then is to try recapture that moment, that tipping point that made you sit up and say, ‘right, thats it, I need to start my own company‘. Unfortunately it is not that simple, different pressures, different thoughts and different experiences have all stepped in between the person you were then and the person you are now.

But it doesn’t stop them being valid.

So before you go looking for new motivations, look at old ones. Is that dream still there? Do you still envisage the goal being the same as you did back then? Do you still have the same driving forces, and if you don’t can you get them back? Do you want them back?

To help lets look at a few of the main reasons people look to start their own companies, especially the reasons used for starting a recruitment company.

1.Money

Some may not want to admit it but money is the major driving force for many small business (and doubly so for large business) start ups. Taking a look at what you are billing as a consultant compared to what you would be earning by yourself is always a sobering thought, especially when you take into account other consultants also billing for you, bringing in their own new business and helping you develop your own brand.

So are you still money focused? Does the dream bringing in the big bucks still get you up in the morning and get your canvassing juices flowing?

2.Lifestyle

It is amazing to think but some people get into setting up companies to improve their lifestyle. At another agency you have targets to meet, KPI’s to hit, people to answer to and core hours to attend. By owning your own business you can choose what you work and when.

Now of course the reality for most people is that it is not like that, more hours and more stress is the name of the game. BUT if you got into this for a change of pace, a change of lifestyle then maybe it is time to re-evaluate how you are running your company and look at rewarding yourself with more time off.

3.Unhappy with the boss

Now this is one almost every employee can relate to. Having the boss breathing down your neck is definitely not conducive to a good working situation. When they manage people badly, don’t understand what you are doing or just put undue pressure on you it can easily lead to dreams of owning your own business.

So when you are wavering in your own motivation think back to what it was like having that boss that you loathed, it might just remind you how much better off you are now.

4.Wanting to make a difference

Lets face it, the recruitment industry hardly has a stellar reputation, especially ethics wise. Many companies out there have no social/charity policy and many have very little policy towards even something as simple as their own clients, they are all about chasing the cash.

So if you stepped away from that so that you could become more client focused, or perhaps have a company that made a difference to the world about you, ask yourself if what you are doing feels better than what it was like to work with someone else. The odds are if that sort of passion drove you at first then a quick walk down memory lane will reignite the flames.

5.Control

Face it, many of us entrepreneurs are complete control freaks. If the idea of someone telling you what to do has you waking up in cold sweats at night then it shouldn’t be too hard to remember that if you pack in the business then you pack in your freedom and it is right back to taking orders and not being able to control everything a company does.

Ask yourself if you can face someone else planning your day, or choosing what marketing campaign to run, or if that client should be yours or another consultants. Doesn’t sound great to me.

6.Thinking we can do better

This was the number one reason for me, and probably linked to all the other reasons. I could do better. I believed it then and I believe it now. Working with others, even in a management role, means working with people who don’t share the same dreams and goals. Who have different opinions and who, for me, make wrong choices.

Arrogance? Definitely, but I believe you wouldn’t be starting a company without some sort of arrogance, you have to believe there is a place for your vision in the world. So ask yourself, ‘can I still do better than the others’? If the answer is yes than you are halfway to motivating yourself again.

Now obviously none of these will solve motivational problems all in one go, but they do help focus the mind and remind yourself where you came from and what your goals were. Maybe you will gain motivation or maybe you will decide on new goals and new motivations. But as with any part of the business motivation needs a careful review, understand what you have done well and bring it on, ditch what doesn’t work and look for new methods.

We’ll be taking a look at new methods in a couple of days.

Use the comments (or email me, address in top right corner) to let me know what you think of this so far.