Part of running a WAHM business is rejection. It happens for all sorts of reasons. You may just not be ready or you may not have put forward your best samples. Try not to dwell too much on the no. Dealing with rejection is extremely important so you can move forward in your business.

When I first started as a freelance writer, I faced rejection a lot. It took me three attempts to get into a writing site that lots of people recommended. Why? It turns out I just wasn’t putting my best samples forward. Part of it was complacency, but the rejection soon taught me that I had to change. Had I let that first rejection stop me, I wouldn’t have even started my writing career. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now with a full-time income that fits around my family life.

Dealing with rejection means using it to your advantage. Sometimes you won’t get a reason for the rejection, but I do suggest reaching out and asking why. Other times, you’ll be told right away why you didn’t get the job or the client. Use the information to your advantage so you can improve and succeed.

Dealing with rejection through constructive criticism

People are going to criticize your work. As a writer, you need a thick skin. As a business owner, you need to be ready for rejection and for complaints. You’re not going to get five stars for everything you do. It really is as simple as that.

Criticism for the sake of it isn’t helpful. I ignore negative reviews without any detail (whether it’s about me or it’s about another business/a product I want to buy). I need constructive criticism. This is where you can evaluate the thoughts and take the suggestions on board.

Some of the rejections I’ve received in the past have been because my content didn’t reach the intended audience or there were better writers out there. That type of feedback told me I needed to improve my quality, think more about the intended audience of the website/client, or rethink who I was pitching to.

And if you need to improve your business then one of the best ways to do that is to use some of the best business intelligence software from InetSoft as that level of data enables you to make much better decisions.

You can use constructive criticism in all types of WAHM businesses.

Find your weaknesses

As you receive rejections, you’ll find where your weaknesses are and can use your findings to your advantage. Look through the criticisms or a pattern of the type of people who are saying no.

Something I’ve found is that white papers aren’t my thing. I found particular niches aren’t the ones that I enjoy, which means the writing seems dull. It took trial and error, but with research and admitting where my weaknesses are, I found my love for the TV shows and movies niche.

You can do this with all types of businesses. You may love landscape photography and find portraits are a weakness. Do you improve your portraits or narrow your focus to landscapes? As a crafter, you may find croqueting is your jam but paper crafts are something to stay away from. Spend the time where it matters.

Develop your strengths

By finding your weaknesses, you’ll also find your strengths. You’ll want to develop those strengths to make them even stronger.

As you do that, you’ll be able to find ways to cross into another niche or another part of your business. You’ll be able to outsource for the areas you can’t do, helping to expand your business that way.

Dealing with rejection in a positive way is the best way to keep your career going. It doesn’t matter what type of business you’re managing. Whether you’re a writer, a crafter, or even an accountant, you’ll find areas where you’re weakest and where you’re strongest. You’ll be turned down by clients or customers. From there, you can build up where you need to and narrow your focus to spend your time in the most effective way to succeed.

MORE: 7 tools I use daily when I work from home

Do you have trouble dealing with rejection? Maybe you’ve found other ways to come back after being told “no” or “not right now”. Please feel free to share your experiences or worries in the comments below.

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