5 Fail-Proof Ways to Become Consistent in Business

How to be consistent in business so you can get the result you want

One of the biggest struggles small business owners face is how to be consistent. This is a real challenge, especially for new business owners who are still learning the ins and outs of entrepreneurship.

What makes this even more challenging is that you know consistency is the key to success, yet you just can’t find a way to regularly show up for your business.

If you are nodding your head while reading this, I got you!

In this post, I am going to show you some fail-proof ways to become consistent in business. These ideas are easy to implement, and once you master them, you will start getting your desired result.

If you are ready for a change, let’s dive in!

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure at the top of the page.

1. HAVE SPECIFIC AND MEASURABLE GOALS

Every time you sit down to work on your business, you should have a specific goal in mind. When you have something or things to shoot for, it keeps you motivated and helps you with consistency.

Every business owner should have goals they want to achieve. This can be sales, marketing, or profit goals. Your goals should be specific and measurable so you can actually track your progress.

If you struggle to stay consistent in your business, start by asking yourself some honest questions like the ones below.

What am I trying to achieve in my business?
What are my short and long-term goals?
Do I have a plan for achieving these goals?

When you have goals and they are important to you, it’s easy to be consistent.

If you don’t have specific business goals you want to accomplish, you won’t feel a sense of urgency to get things done. You can put things off and only show up for your business when you feel like it.

I say this from experience.

There was a time when I didn’t see my business as all that important. I worked on it without any idea what I was doing or what I was trying to accomplish. Sometimes, I went weeks or months without doing any work. Soon enough I learned that was no way to build a business (at least one that is successful and sustainable).

To be consistent in business, you need specific goals to aim for. That’s the starting point from which other things flow. So, if you have a hard time being consistent in your business, start from there.

2. DECIDE ON A SCHEDULE

Believe it or not, having a realistic schedule can help you become more consistent.

A realistic schedule is one that takes into account your current circumstances. For example, if you are a stay-at-home mom with small kids, a 40-hour workweek may not be a realistic schedule for you, but you can probably swing for a 20-hour workweek.

The thing with consistency is that it is easy to make excuses when you don’t have enough time, so instead of trying to stick to a schedule that is not working, find one that is more realistic for you.

Being consistent looks different for everyone. For me, it’s working on my business every day. For you, it might be working on your business thrice a week. So, the first thing you need to do is to define what consistency means to you, then create a schedule that reflects that.

Consistency can also mean doing a specific task every day. For instance, marketing your business daily even if you don’t do anything else. So, don’t pigeonhole yourself or think there’s a universal standard for consistency.

Decide what works for you, then follow through. Put all your heart and energy into it. That’s what being consistent in business is all about.

3. GETTING ORGANIZED CAN HELP YOU BECOME MORE CONSISTENT IN BUSINESS

You are probably tired of hearing “get organized.” But think about it for a minute. Perhaps the reason you hear it all the time is that it is kinda essential for your success, and more importantly, it works!

Earlier, I talked about how and why you should decide or choose a schedule that works for you. Now, it’s time to take things a step further.

Having a schedule is nice, but you know what is even better? Have a plan for your schedule. That means knowing what you want to work on and when you want to do the work. This is what I mean when I say get organized.

When you take the time to organize your business, life becomes simpler and more manageable, and the result is you become more consistent.

It is easy to be consistent when you feel in control and know exactly what you should be doing. A lot of small business owners struggle with consistency because they are not in control of their business. They have no idea what they should be doing or when they should be doing it, so they end up feeling frustrated and becoming inconsistent.

Okay, enough preaching. Let’s talk about what you can do to organize your business.

Here are some suggestions.

Make a list of all your business tasks. Think about everything you do for your business (or everything you should be doing). This includes marketing, product creation or development, customer service, or sales tasks.
Next, organize your tasks. What I mean is that you need to schedule them. Decide when you want to do these tasks, then write them down in your weekly planner. Psst… if you are a new business owner or an intermediate entrepreneur, I have a weekly business planner and a list of weekly business tasks in my New Business Success Kit. Check it out!
Make a list of tasks you don’t like doing or tasks you can outsource. I understand some of you are not in a position to outsource tasks, but it is an option if you can afford it.
Have all the tools you need to complete your business tasks. This will help you maximize your time and increase your productivity.

Staying consistent is all about making things as easy as possible. When things feel too hard, it’s natural to shy away from them, so get organized and improve your consistency.

4. FIND WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED

I want to be really honest here. It’s hard to stay motivated when you don’t see the results that you want.

Imagine putting in the hours, doing the work, creating content, networking, spending hours creating beautiful pins, and writing valuable posts, yet neither your traffic nor income is growing. Why would you want to continue or devote lots of time to your business or blog?

A lot of new entrepreneurs have a hard time being consistent for this reason. They start out very excited and motivated, they do all the right things, but some months in, they have nothing to show for all their hard work and feel discouraged.

Sadly, this is not limited to only new entrepreneurs.

Some business owners have been trying to grow their business for years with little or no success. This is frustrating and can make you want to give up.

So, how do you stay motivated when things are not going the way you want or moving too slowly? How do you remain consistent while waiting for your desired outcome?

Here are some things that can help.

Ensure you are following the right plan or roadmap and using the right strategies for your business. Doing the wrong things consistently will lead to poor/slow growth.
Trust the process. As long as you have a solid plan for your business and you know what you are doing, trust that things are going to work out. Yes, it will take some time but sooner or later, you will get your desired outcome.
Focus on the things you can control. For instance, you can control how many blog posts you write or how often to promote or share your content, but you can’t control how much traffic Google or Pinterest sends your way.
Keep your why or purpose front and center of your mind. You started your business for a reason. Let that reason be your driving force or guiding light. Never lose sight of your mission.
Look for small wins and be happy when you get them. Small milestones can become big milestones. Did you get your first sale or first fifty email subscribers? That’s a milestone worth celebrating!
Find inspiration for something or someone else. I won’t lie, it’s hard to read about other people’s successes when you are barely scraping by, however, these stories can also be inspiring. If they can do it, why not you?

It can be hard to stay consistent in your business when you lack motivation. It’s really important to stay motivated if you want a successful business, so find ways to keep your spirits up so you can keep working on your business.

5. GET REAL WITH YOURSELF

I saved this one for last because it is very important and one of the biggest reasons many entrepreneurs struggle with consistency.

So here goes.

How important is your business to you? Does your livelihood depend on your business? How badly do you want your business to succeed?

Are you inconsistent because your next meal or your mortgage payment does not depend on your business?

Let’s be real here.

You can get away with being inconsistent if you have other options. If you have a stable 9-5 job or you are not the breadwinner or main provider for your family, you can afford to be inconsistent. But, when your kids or family depend on you for their survival, the stakes are higher.

So I want you to get real with yourself. Are you doing the best that you can? Are you inconsistent because having a business is nice but your survival doesn’t depend on it?

Now, it’s okay if you want to treat your business as a hobby or a small side hustle. That’s fine. As long as you understand that what you put in is what you get out(not always), and you are happy with that, then it’s all good.

To be consistent in business requires discipline and sacrifice. That only happens when something is really important to you. Being consistent is mostly about being disciplined. It’s having the self-discipline to push yourself because no one is going to do it for you or tell you what to do.

So think about it. Are you disciplined enough? Is lack of self-discipline the main reason you are inconsistent? If yes, what can you do about it?

Tip: You can get an accountability partner to help you become consistent. I find that when I have someone to hold me accountable, I try my best to live up to expectations and not disappoint them.

Final thoughts on fail-proof ways to become consistent in business

Consistency will do more for your business than expertise or anything else. Working on your business consistently is the best way to get your desired outcomes.

If you struggle with being consistent, there are lots of things you can do to change that. You can set goals, create a schedule, get organized, make changes, find someone to hold you accountable and find ways to stay motivated.

Lack of motivation can affect your consistency, so try to stay motivated and find some inspiration.

Lastly, be patient. Focus on things you can control and not the outcomes.

Are you struggling with consistency in your business? What do you think the problem is?