This Is Why You Need To Build Resilience as an Online Business Entrepreneur 👇
Let me start off by acknowledging that 2024 pushed me to my absolute limits, in my personal life, as a business owner and emotionally – at times, it genuinely felt like it might break me.
I hit what I thought was my “breaking point” at least three times between February and October. Yet somehow, I didn’t break. I managed to pull myself back together, again and again.
Having faced “breaking point” many times in my life, I’ve come to realize one thing to be true: Every time you navigate a tough situation, you come out twice as strong and resilient for the next challenge. You’re 100% more likely to handle the next curveball with more clarity and experience. And you begin to realize that absolutely nothing in this world lasts forever. Including hard times! They’re not permanent.
That doesn’t make them any less challenging in the moment, but it does offer a feeling of hope when you need it most. One thing that’s for sure is that the more resilient you are, the easier it is to overcome challenges.
And a big part of becoming an online business entrepreneur is overcoming challenges, setbacks and unexpected turns. Building and developing resilience allows you to navigate these obstacles and survive (maybe for some thrive) in times of chaos and uncertainty.
In this post, we’re going to dive into exactly why resilience is so important in entrepreneurship and 10 ways to build resilience so you can handle anything that comes your way as an online business founder.
The Importance of Resilience in Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is about more than just creating and running a business. It’s about taking risks, solving problems, and consistently adapting to change. The nature of online business – with rapidly evolving technology, market trends, and consumer behaviors – means entrepreneurs face a unique set of challenges.
Having resilience in entrepreneurship means being able to bounce back from difficulties, maintain focus, and continue working toward your goals you’re focused on – despite setbacks that may come your way. Studies in entrepreneurial resilience theory suggest that resilient entrepreneurs are better equipped to navigate uncertainty, sustain motivation, and build long-term success.
Without resilience, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or give up when things don’t go as planned. This is possibly a big factor as to why 90% of new businesses fail in the first 5 years, but when you cultivate resilience, you gain the tools to adapt, grow, allowing you to move forward and progress within your business, despite setbacks, and use the “failures” as “lessons”, to help you grow and evolve.
So How Do You Build Resilience as an Entrepreneur?
Building resilience as an entrepreneur isn’t about avoiding challenges; it’s about learning how to respond to them. Taking the lessons from what’s happened, and using them as fuel to improve in the future.
Here are 10 proven strategies to build resilience and thrive in your online business:
1. Embrace Change and Adaptability in Entrepreneurship
One of the most important aspects of resilience is adaptability. Online business landscapes shift quickly – algorithms change, new competitors emerge, and consumer preferences evolve. Resilient entrepreneurs embrace these changes as opportunities rather than obstacles.
If something doesn’t feel in alignment with you, or you’ve been trying and failing multiple times – don’t be scared to make a change. You’re doing yourself more harm resisting the changes than you would be to start again.
Tip: Remember even if you have to change or start again – you’re not starting from zero this time, you have all the foundations you’ve already built and lessons learned, so you’re starting from the next level. Pivoting your strategy when needed and flexibility is your superpower.
2. Develop a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is the belief that you can learn and improve through effort. When challenges arise, instead of seeing them as roadblocks, view them as chances to learn and grow.
If something comes up that you deem to be a “failure” – SWOT analyze the situation – what worked, what didn’t work, what opportunities can you take onboard next time, what was holding you back? The more you understand WHY something didn’t work, the easier it is to understand what to do differently next time, and that in itself is growth.
Tip: Reframe the things you see as “failures” as “feedback”. Always ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?”
3. Set Realistic Goals
Unrealistic expectations can lead to frustration and burnout. It’s common for entrepreneurs (who are typically creative ideas people) to take on too much, as they have such huge ambitions, but sometimes this sets you up to not achieve, as you’re being unrealistic with how much can get done in the time you have.
By setting achievable goals, you can maintain motivation and celebrate the small wins along the way, getting you must faster and more easily to the end goal.
Tip: Break larger goals into smaller, actionable steps. Each accomplishment helps you build confidence and resilience to keep going.
4. Prioritize Self-Care
Resilience isn’t just mental – it’s physical too. Taking care of your body and mind is essential for maintaining the energy and focus required to run a business.
I once heard a Jay Shetty quote about thinking of your self-care routine as putting your armour on for the day. If you don’t look after yourself you’re more likely to be beaten down, but if you have your armour on you can keep battling through. Self-care and healthy habits are your armour!
Tip: Create a daily routine that includes movement, healthy eating, and mindfulness practices. Set boundaries and protect your downtime to make sure you can recharge.
5. Build a Support Network
Entrepreneurship can be lonely, but you don’t have to do it all on your own. Surround yourself with mentors, peers, and friends who understand your journey and can provide guidance or a listening ear.
If you’re looking for some support, accountability, or advice I offer mentorship for online business owners, helping you get super clear on how to achieve your goals and overcome challenges – which you can find out more about here!
Tip: Join online communities, attend networking events, or hire a business coach to keep you grounded and supported.
6. Strengthen Your Problem-Solving Skills
Challenges in online business often require quick thinking and creative solutions. Developing your problem-solving skills will help you face obstacles with confidence.
First step is to try and eliminate as many internal problems as possible. To do that – start noticing patterns in your problems, blueprint your processes so you can identify which parts are causing you challenges, begin documenting everything you do so you can hindsight and fix problems that don’t need to exist.
Secondly, start forward thinking – what could happen, and have a rough idea of a plan b for everything you do. This helps you pre-empt anything that could go wrong so you have a way around it if/when it does.
Tip: Approach problems with curiosity. Brainstorm multiple solutions and evaluate the potential outcomes of each.
7. Cultivate Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand and regulate your emotions, as well as empathize with others. Having a high EQ helps you stay calm under pressure, keep your nervous system in check, and communicate effectively. When you try to solve problems from an out-of-balance nervous system you often make poor choices, and rash decisions and can cause more harm than good.
To stay in a neutral mindset and improve your problem-solving skills you could try to incorporate some nervous system regulation practices in your daily routine, such as a 5-minute square breathing exercise.
Tip: Practice self-awareness by reflecting on how you react to stress. Use this insight to improve your responses and identify what you need to do to calm your nervous system and become more resilient.
8. Stay Committed to Your “Why”
Knowing your purpose can help you push through tough times. Whether it’s financial freedom, time flexibility, or creating impact, your “why” serves as a guiding light.
I always say that you need 4 things when starting an online business passion, purpose, perseverance, and self-belief – if you’re purpose isn’t strong enough you’re more likely to give up, so knowing WHY you are doing something and staying laser-focused on that will help you move closer to it.
If you’re unsure of your why, or you want to make sure you are in business for reasons that align with you I have created a whole masterclass on this – it’s free to join and you can enroll now here.
Tip: Write down your purpose/mission, stick it somewhere in sight, and revisit it regularly to stay inspired.
9. Celebrate Progress, Not Just Success
Acknowledging your achievements – big or small – is a powerful way to build resilience. It reminds you of how far you’ve come and reinforces your ability to overcome challenges.
It also helps you build a higher level of self-worth and confidence, which is another big requirement for running an online business.
Tip: Keep a journal of wins, and moments of gratitude, and screenshot/capture the proud moment, so you can look back at it when times feel tough.
10. Invest in Continuous Learning
The online business world evolves quickly, and staying ahead requires ongoing education. Resilient entrepreneurs are lifelong learners who see knowledge as a tool for growth.
You should never stop evolving as an online business entrepreneur as there are always new strategies and processes to help you stay ahead of the game.
I have some courses you might want to check out and learn from here.
Tip: Take courses, read books, and follow industry leaders to stay sharp and prepared.
Building Resilience is NOT Going To Happen Overnight
Like most things in life building resilience is an ongoing process. By embracing challenges, investing in your personal growth, and staying committed to your goals, you’ll develop the strength to weather any storm. Here’s a quick recap of the steps to build resilience:
- Embrace change and adaptability.
- Develop a growth mindset.
- Set realistic goals.
- Prioritize self-care.
- Build a support network.
- Strengthen problem-solving skills.
- Cultivate emotional intelligence.
- Stay connected to your purpose.
- Celebrate progress.
- Invest in learning.
I definitely used all of these in 2024 to help me get through what I would say was one of the most stressful periods of my life.
When I recently shared everything I’d been going through with my new business coach, she looked at me pretty shocked and said:
“Sophie, you realize some people won’t go through all of that in a lifetime, let alone in a year.”
Her words made me reflect. Despite the weight of it all, I began to realize just how resilient I’ve become. Yes, some of the situations that were thrown at me last year were hard. But I also very clearly see the lessons, the growth, and the way those challenges have redirected me back onto a path I was probably always meant to be on.
So, what is that path?
Sharing more of my personal experiences about finding freedom through creating my own online business after 12 years in the corporate world with you – especially if you share the same goal as me – to have more time, financial, or location freedom to live life in a way that feels more authentic to you.
Why? Because too many people stay stuck in a 9-to-5 or a conventional “white picket fence” lifestyle, held back by fear of what people will think if they break away from it, lack of knowledge, or a limited belief in what’s possible for them.
(Nothing wrong if that’s what you enjoy), BUT if you feel stuck or like there’s something else out there for you – I want to help you change that and show you what is possible to achieve if you put your mind to a goal. I know it to be possible because I’ve done it myself. Hear more about my story here.
If you’re looking for inspiration to start living a life that feels good and more authentic to you, you’re in the right place.
Remember building resilience isn’t just about surviving; it’s about thriving. By applying these strategies and committing to your personal and professional growth, you’ll be equipped to handle the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with confidence and clarity. Try to see every setback as an opportunity to become stronger. Stay the course, and keep building the life and business you dream of.