Fashion Business Owner Musings: How to Know When It’s Time to Move On

Sometimes we have a vision of how something is going to work or how something is supposed to happen. When it doesn’t happen that way, we have a difficult time seeing clearly through all the determination.

It can be especially difficult because, as fashion business owners, we are taught and conditioned to be persistent and not doubt ourselves too much.

We believe that being a great entrepreneur means sticking it out no matter what. That it means being dedicated and not giving up.

While it’s important to give our all and work hard to see our goals reached, sometimes you just have to move on.

Depending on what we’re talking about, this can be easy-ish or practically impossible.

Sometimes it presents itself in the form of our marketing efforts.

Things like a blogging series that, even though you’ve been consistent and dedicated, just does not seem to resonate with your community.

Or maybe it’s a type of Instagram post that you thought was such a brilliant idea but ultimately, no one is really engaging with it.

When it’s something like this, it’s a little easier to deal with. While you may love it, you realize that you’re using precious, limited time and energy to create content that isn’t really helping to grow your business. So you accept it and try a different idea.

Or maybe it’s a sales channel.

You had a detailed plan on building out your wholesale business only to find that buyers are not very receptive. You have invested time and money in all that you needed to really pursue this channel so you’re pushing back on the idea of giving up; you’re not sure why it’s not working so you just keep pushing forward.

Eventually, you realize that something has to give.

Either you need to dive deep into what’s not working, why it’s not working, and create a plan to fix it, or you decide to focus your energy on a different channel. Because ultimately, you need to make money. That’s certainly more difficult than simply changing up your Instagram posts.

Then there’s the big one- your business. It’s not growing as quickly as you’d hoped or expected.

You’re worried every day about your finances and your future.

You don’t know what to do but you don’t want to give up. This is your dream. When it comes to making a decision, this is the absolute hardest. You’re so in it, it’s practically impossible to see clearly.

What do you do?

I’ve learned that there’s no easy way to determine if and when it’s time to move on. Whether you’re talking about a relationship, a sales channel, a marketing strategy, or the existence of your business, no one can make the decision for you; you have to create a process for assessing a situation and then make a decision.

This is why I cover mindset in the class I offer about how to launch your fashion business. What’s happening in your mind is such an important component of determining your next steps.

Here are some things that I do, when something simply is not working…

• I ask myself “Do I believe that I have done absolutely everything in my power to make this work?”
  • This is tricky because it’s easy really freaking easy to say “yes” to this. But don’t lie! Have you tried everything, even things that would push you out of your comfort zone (I’m lookin’ at you, sales calls)? Have you dedicated a lot of time, creativity, and energy to making this work? Have I tried accomplishing it in a different way or ways? Have I exhausted all possible avenues?
• Then I reflect on how I would feel if I no longer worked towards the goal or if I tried something new.
  • What will I do instead? Would I mourn? Would I ultimately be happier? More successful? Trying to look past the thing itself to what life could be instead and paying attention to how that makes me feel, always helpful.
• Finally, I take some time off from whatever it is and let myself just be.
  • What happened when I took that time off (whether it was a day, a week, or a month)? Was I thinking about it all the time? Did I have that same excitement that I used to have for it? Did I suddenly have new ideas and that buzz in my belly for how to approach it differently? Or did I not think about it at all? Did something else occupy my time? Was I happy not thinking about it?

These reflections can be really helpful when trying to determine if it’s time to move on from something or if you just need to come at it with fresh eyes.

I’m never a supporter of giving up on something you want. But I am a supporter of never being afraid to admit that it no longer is what you want.

Lots of love and encouragement,