Business proactivity, niche business ideas, and DST

ENTREPRENEUR SELF-CARE

Positivity is Burnout’s Kryptonite

Burnout sets in from juggling limited resources to meet high demand.

In other words, daily life and business in 2024.

To keep mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion at bay, consider the following research-based tools from the area of positive psychology:

Agree on Three - Every day jot down three good things that happened to you that day. Picture the events in your mind, then focus on the positive feelings. Feels nice.

Grrr-Attitude - Write a heartfelt thank you to someone who’s helped or inspired you. And keep it rolling with letters to any individuals who’ve contributed to your journey. They win. You win. Burnout loses.

Imagine That - Journal about and envision the joy that awaits you. Imagine how it’ll feel to achieve your goals. Visualize your success. It’s a calming process that makes the day-to-day more meaningful and gives burnout less space to attach.

Why it matters:

For entrepreneurs and leaders, being proactive is key to staying healthy and keeping the fire inside of you burning. Learning to manage stress and workload is paramount.

For additional details on the three above-noted burnout remedies, here's the link (2-min. skim).

BUSINESS INSIGHT

17-Year Old Brings in $34K/Month with Side Hustle

And this little piggy went to the right market.

Bella Lin hated to see her pet guinea pigs crammed into tiny cages, so she’d let them roam in her backyard. Unfortunately, this led to birds of prey stealing her guinea pigs to dine on cavy carryout. Bella needed a solution, so she designed creative enclosures that were easy-to-clean, comfortable, and secure for her fur babies.

She had an inkling there might be other guinea pig owners out there facing similar challenges. She was right. Lin launched her startup, GuineaLoft, in 2022, and she sold 11,000 enclosures the first year and generated $400,000 in revenue.

Why it matters:

Lin’s startup succeeded because she focused on addressing a niche within a unique community (guinea pig owners) that wasn’t being adequately addressed.

Are there audiences in your direct or adjacent customer market that may be neglected or underserved? Sometimes it’s worth sniffing around to find out.

To be inspired by how Lin built her successful side hustle, here’s the link (2-min. skim).

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Daylight Savings Hacks to Help You Stay Bushy-Tailed

It’s reported that 55% of U.S. adults feel tired post-daylight savings.

This weekend in the U.S. (unless you’re in Hawaii or Arizona) you’ll lose an hour of sleep. And while one hour doesn’t seem consequential, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine reveals that one hour lost can lead to weeks of lethargy, or even mental health challenges.

They also recommend a couple of simple tricks that can keep your circadian rhythms copacetic:

Sunny Dis Position – After the time change, try to spend 15 minutes each morning soaking up some rays, which slows your body’s melatonin release, reducing fatigue.

The Early Birdy is Purdy – Post Spring-forward, eat earlier, exercise in the first half of the day, and hit the pillow a tad earlier than usual (yes, stop scrolling). These help your body adjust faster.

As business owners and entrepreneurs, it’s particularly vital that physical and mental energy stays in tune. A bit of prevention can keep the spring in your step once Spring has sprung.

To learn more about the nuances of the time change, along with some additional tips, here’s a helpful link (2-min. skim).