What Entrepreneurs Do During Tough Times


What Entrepreneurs Do During Tough Times

Bangalore: There comes a time in every entrepreneur’s life when the skies look gloomy, the sky is clouded, and it rains without a break. At such a time, they are on a lookout to find the tiny silver lining to the grey clouds, which would help them chug through the tough times. Few entrepreneurs share their thoughts on what they do during tough times.

“When I have a good client meeting going on, I ask them if I can request the conversation, which I play during the gloomy days. The mention of how good they found our products to be re-instigates the same level of passion I had when I first started my venture,” says Mukund Mohan, CEO, Jivity.

For some entrepreneurs pushing themselves an extra mile acts as a high, rather than back off from the situation. “I work harder and put my head down as I don’t like backing off. I follow what Jack Welch once said ‘stretch your targets to 150 percent instead of a 100 percent, and by the end of it you will achieve atleast 120 percent, which is any time better than the 100 percent’. Also I try to listen to people to get a holistic idea of which a few points may be the arrows which would end my problems,” says Amarpreet Kalkat, Co-Founder, Ciafo.

Keeping your cool is an age long mantra, which still works today. Being patient not only helps you to avoid reacting proactively, but also look at other’s points of view. “Running a start-up is like a roller coaster, highs and lows. So, I try not to get too happy when good things happen or too down when bad things happen. Consciously, I try to stay even keel regardless of the situation as this is what you signed up for, if you can’t deal with it go work at a bank. I work out regularly and find that is critical to staying mentally and physically fit. Also, I find spiritual books, not religious, like Eckart Tolle’s ‘A New Earth’, as it puts the whole thing in perspective,” says Ankesh Kumar, CEO, Searchreviews.

Many a times, completely switching off might help the mind to cool down and start thinking from a new angle, as sometimes reacting in the heat of the moment might just blow it out of proportion. This would help you to first get the stressful moment out of your head, and since you are away from the root cause, you would be able to diligently think of a solution in order to handle the situation. “I try to switch off the problem for atleast two hours. I try to play chess real time online, or visit a book store and spend a couple of hours there. I have seen that the world does not come to an end in two hours. More often than not we tend to magnify the problem on our own mind. But, I believe that every problem has either a solution or an opportunity waiting to be discovered; provided we not always look in the obvious places,” says John Kuruvilla, Founder, Taggle and CMO, Via.com.

Taking short breaks is the best way to keep oneself rejuvenated. Entrepreneurs tend to become workaholics with no time for themselves of their families, but giving oneself a break can go a long way in helping the steam cool off. “I write blogs, and once in a while I ask my driver to step down and go for a long drive. I also like playing Cricket with my cousins and kids,” says Kamanashish Roy, Co-Founder, Debate.fm.

Thus, the times might be tough, with the winds blowing in the opposite direction, trying to push you back with every step you take, but it is important that you keep yourself motivated as the clouds are temporary and would give way to a gleaming sunny day. You should know when to let go and take a break, take time to pursue your interests, and divert yourself from the ground zero, in order to get rejuvenated and start afresh.