How To Turn Your Struggles Into Business Success

Starting a successful business is not easy. If it was, more people would be doing it. And more of the people who start the process would actually finish it.

The fact is that many businesses fail each year, despite their founders’ best intentions and efforts. And even those who do find success will admit that it doesn’t come easy. It takes hard work and long term determination.

Without that struggle, success just isn’t possible.

That’s a lesson that many entrepreneurs have learned, including Josh Meyer. He’s one of the co-founders of Brickell Men’s Products, a brand offering natural skincare and grooming products for men. He and his co-founder took a simple idea and turned it into a business that – just three years in – has already managed to grow in a difficult market.

How can you emulate the success of Josh and other entrepreneurs who have been wiling to struggle in order to find success?

Give Up on Bad Ideas, Never on Your Dreams

Part of the struggle of building a business can be knowing when to dig in your heels and when to call it quits. This is a major issue for many entrepreneurs. And there’s no easy way to decide what to do – sometimes it comes down to your gut instinct.

What if you do decide that you need to bail on a failed business? Does that mean that you have to totally give up on your dream of entrepreneurship?

Absolutely not! Part of being successful is struggling through temporary setbacks. Before he become CEO of Brickell Men’s Products, Josh Meyer went through something very similar.

His last business venture had ended, leaving him without much to live on and fresh out of ideas. At one point he had to have his girlfriend buy his groceries just to get by through the end of the month. Not an ideal situation. And one that some people would describe as failure.

“Give up! Get a job! Stop chasing that dream!” they’ll tell you. But you’ve got to learn to ignore the naysayers and focus on your goal of reaching success.

Josh is one of many entrepreneurs who have stuck it out through the bad times, found a new business idea, and moved on to find success. You can do the same.

Finding Fresh Business Ideas

There are many tried and true business models you can follow to success. But if you’re looking to disrupt a market and bring a fresh approach to the business world, it’s going to take some big thinking.

Still, that doesn’t mean that you have to be an Elon Musk level genius to come up with the next big idea. Take Josh’s example. Where did the idea for a natural and organic skincare brand for men come from?

It started when Josh saw a picture of himself and asked why he looked different in it. “I had to Photoshop out your forehead wrinkle,” his then-girlfriend told him. That got him started down the skincare rabbit hole.

He started investigating his skincare options, looking for a natural brand that was specifically designed as skincare for men. Instead, he found chemical-laden products and research showing that one common ingredient in many products had shrunken the testicles of lab mice. No good.

Once he realized there was no brand that fit what he was looking for, he got in touch with his friend and business partner, Matt, and got to work on starting Brickell.

You can find success in a similar way. Don’t limit your business ideas to only what you know or what you see others doing. One of the best ways to get a business going is to notice a gap in the market and find a way to fit it.

This won’t always be easy. Remember, success only comes from a persistent struggle. So you will have to do extensive market research before you can dive into a field you’re not familiar with. But that time and effort will be well worth it once your business is off the ground and moving towards success.

Never Stop Struggling

Once you’ve built a successful business, the struggle isn’t over. You’ll have to keep fighting to beat the competition, stay relevant in your marketplace, and convert new customers. The battle is long and arduous. But victory is sweet – just ask any successful entrepreneur.

Are you struggling to get your business going, to find a new idea, or to pick up the pieces after a recent failure? Regardless, stay focused on your long term goals. Don’t give up now – stay determined and looking for fresh ideas that you can get on you the road to success.

Author Bio

David Porter is Marketing Director for Brickell Men’s Products, high performing natural and organic skincare products for men. Follow Brickell on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.