Since we are all creatures of habit, the prospect of making changes can be unnerving. The good news is that every business owner faces challenges, setbacks and roadblocks, and have come up with solutions that may help you get unstuck

“I think that the first and most important change was in my attitude! I had made the decision to take the business to the next level and that decision was actually the first step (of getting unstuck), says New Jersey based LisaMarie Dias, head designer and founder of the six year old jewelry firm, LisaMarie Dias Designs.

LisaMarie took her business to the next level last year, increasing her sales by 60%, so that “attitude adjustment” must have something to it! According to LisaMarie, once that decision was made, she started working with a coach. The eight sessions “were amazing” because LisaMarie got an outside perspective, which helped her “see” her business from new angles, and enabled her to take on tasks that she had been avoiding because she had previously envisioned them to be insurmountable.

She explains:” When we started, I saw my role as making and selling jewelry – I was focused on getting out and doing more shows. My coach suggested ‘attracting customers’ and more networking. While it was not directly leading to sales, I was able to extend my brand awareness and indirectly, increase sales as more people knew of and became interested in my work. “

So as a result of her coaching LisaMarie got some very specific direction. More than that she implemented, she took action. She began to go to networking functions more. “I attended meetings, joined groups – getting my name and products (I always have a box of jewels with me!) out there.

Another thing that she started to do was to read. “I read all I could about business – not just small businesses but also about how larger ones are structured and work. This was tremendously eye opening. As an artist, I have a large number of educational hours under my belt, but I was never taught accounting or took even basic business classes. So now, I take classes thru NJAWBO (New Jersey Association of Woman Business Owners), SCORE and any other organizations I can find offering business, accounting or marketing seminars. I learn a lot AND meet others that are in similar circumstances – it is definitely a great way to move forward. “

In Charleston, SC, Sherrie Bakshi felt she needed to “get unstuck” from very first steps of launching her business, due to culturally-based issues.

“One of the first challenges my business partner Vladia Jurcova and I faced had to do with our names,” says Sherrie Bakshi, an Indian-American woman and co-founder of Stylee PR & Marketing. “With both our last names being somewhat unfamiliar to the everyday American, especially in South Carolina, we had to come up with something that people would remember and connect with us. “

Her challenges to start a PR and marketing business in an area of the country where most Indians were in the medical or engineering professions, included overcoming her own personal challenges; growing up in a culture where risks were not taken very often. “Indians tend to follow a specific path created by their parents and for the sake of security. “

So Sherrie had to get “culturally unstuck” and that meant taking risks and pushing her own personal “envelope”. According to Sherrie, she made a concerted effort of securing her position within the community by affiliating herself with recognized community relations, including Darkness to Light and the Center For Women. She participated in speaking engagements, served on committees, and worked on building bonds with members of her own field.

Sherrie and Vladia’s grass roots efforts with Stylee PR reflected their approach in the public relations field. Says Sherrie, in a city full of publicists, we had to stick out. We knew the first impression would be the last impression so we had to do it right.

While her company is doing well, Sherrie did face several challenges in the company’s early stages. StyleePR had to get their clients and prospects “unstuck” from thinking that their rates were too high for a start-up firm, a common demon for many business newbies. Sherrie and her partner has years of expertise, so their approach was to follow their gut instinct, despite possible setbacks.

“A company’s reputation can be hindered very quickly with a bad client experience, which we did have. “ Another challenge; getting clients unstuck from their perceptions of what PR really is.

“Some clients initially foresee PR as something they can do. It’s easy. They don’t understand the skills required, such as effective communication, writing and marketing skills.” According to Sherrie, PR requires a type a personality, maintaining one’s cool and bringing the best results forward. Education has been key component in their approach. Per Sherrie, the results have been fantastic with their clients receiving “the biggest bang for their bucks.”

As they enter their third year in business, Stylee PR’s “getting-unstuck-from-the- get-go” mentality has resulted in more clients, and expanded services that now includes account service, branding, and copy writing,

Whether getting unstuck includes cultural or geographic challenges, or getting your business ratcheted up to the next level, it’s clear that defining your specific challenges, taking risks, seeking options to help you reach specific goals and taking action – can help you achieve new professional and personal heights. Go for it ladies – the sky’s the limit!