60. Are Expectations Killing Your Joy in Life & Business? How to Save a Struggling Business- A Honest Playbook from a Mompreneur
- Brittany Miller
- Jun 11, 2024
- 14 min read
Updated: Dec 23, 2025
Why I'm Writing About How to Save a Struggling Business
I want to start by saying this: if you're Googling how to save a struggling business, you're not alone — and you haven't failed yet. I'm writing from a place of messy, real life. I'm a mom, an entrepreneur, and someone who has wrestled with the gap between expectations and reality. Turning thirty, adding another baby to the mix, and watching plans shift has forced me to re-evaluate what success actually looks like. Along the way, I learned practical, no-nonsense ways of how to save a struggling business while also protecting the parts of life that matter most.
In this article I'll share what I wish I had known earlier: the mindset fixes, the practical pivots, and the small-but-powerful actions that can bring momentum back. If you need a plan for how to save a struggling business that respects your life — especially if you're juggling kids, a partner, and bills — read on. I'm keeping this conversational, honest, and actionable.
If we haven't met yet, I’m Brittany, an online marketing strategist for female entrepreneurs. I teach women how to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality through smart, actionable marketing strategies that get them seen, loved, and paid. Whether you’re eager to DIY your way to success or hire professionals to help you along the way–my goal is to make sure you walk away with the clarity you need to see the results you desire and build a life you love.
Table of Contents
Why Expectations Often Make Business Problems Worse
When I picture the path of an entrepreneur, I have to admit: I had expectations. I thought by year three I'd have steady income, a business that fit around my family, and enough stability to enjoy weekends away in a trailer with my kids. Instead, reality looked like sleepless nights, unpredictable invoices, and the relentless pressure of "not enough" — not enough revenue, not enough time, not enough progress.
Expectations are useful when they keep you motivated, but they become dangerous when they define your worth. That pressure can blind you to the simple, tactical steps that actually help when you're trying to learn how to save a struggling business.
My Top Steps to Save A Struggling Business (from Experience)
Step 1: Get Honest — The First Move in How to Save a Struggling Business
Honesty is the foundation. The moment you start diagnosing a problem, do it with ruthlessly clear facts instead of feelings. I had to face the numbers: months without hitting revenue targets, offers that didn't convert, time-draining client work. Once I stopped sugarcoating the truth, I could start to change it.
Ask yourself:
How much money came in last month? Last quarter?
Which clients or services take the most time for the least money?
What income would make this business viable right now?
This is how to save a struggling business: stop pretending everything is fine and document the reality. Numbers don't lie, and once they're on paper they become a map.
For even more insights listen to the full episode ↓
Step 2: Identify the Biggest Leaks — Where Are You Losing Time and Money?
When I audited my own business, the leaks were obvious: offers that weren't a fit, services I wasn't excited about, and tasks that sucked up my hours for too little pay. Early on I'd taken every job because I needed income. That strategy is common and understandable, but it also slows growth. The second step in learning how to save a struggling business is to identify and plug those leaks.
Make a short list of anything that:
Consumes more than 20% of your time but brings less than 10% of your income
Makes you dread work
Requires skills you don’t enjoy or aren't efficient at
You might be tempted to keep everything because “it pays the bills,” but this is where a partner, a mentor, or a spreadsheet helps you see the long-term cost of short-term fixes like these.
Step 3: Simplify Offers — The Core Idea for How to Save a Struggling Business
One of the most practical changes I made was narrowing my offers. Complexity costs time and energy. Customers get confused when you have a dozen options. When you're figuring out how to save a struggling business, simpler often wins.
Try this:
Identify your highest-margin, easiest-to-deliver service.
Build a clear, single-page offer for that service.
Price it so that you get paid fairly for your time.
Fewer offers mean clearer marketing, faster delivery, and better customer outcomes — all of which make your business more scalable and stable.
Step 4: Stop Chasing Every Lead — Pick a Target Client
If your business feels scattered, it's probably because you're trying to be everything to everyone. That’s how I felt when I took on brand kits, websites, social media management, and copywriting projects — tasks I wasn't great at or didn’t love. It’s time-consuming and demoralizing. I still offer support in some of these areas, check out this page for more information on how to work with me.
Decide on one ideal client profile. The clearer you are about who you serve, the easier it is for that person to find and pay you. This is a major strategy when you're figuring out how to save a struggling business: become the obvious choice to a specific group.
Step 5: Reprice and Repackage to Protect Your Time
A big part of my struggle was underpricing. When I charged too little, I worked too much and rewarded the wrong behaviors. To shift this, I:
Increased prices for new clients.
Added clear scope and boundaries to projects.
Built packages that reflected real delivery time.
It felt scary raising my prices but it helped me move out of hustle mode and into a business that bring me joy and balance. That being said, don't guess when you raise your prices — calculate labor, time, overhead, and desired profit. Price for value, not pity. Clients will respect a confident price structure; it signals expertise.
Step 6: Quick Wins to Build Momentum
When my bank account and confidence are both low, I lean into quick wins. When you're trying to learn how to save a struggling business, momentum is everything. Quick wins remind you and your customers that you can deliver.
Examples of quick wins:
Run a discounted mini-offer that’s easy to deliver (a 1-hour audit, a template, a coaching session).
Reach out to past clients with a short update and an ask: who do they know that needs help? Or how can you help them sustain their momentum.
Refine a single piece of marketing that drives leads (your email sequence, a landing page, or a social post series).
These small victories create cash flow and renew belief — both vital when learning how to save a struggling business.
Step 7: Build a Tiny Marketing Machine
You don’t need a huge ad budget or endless hours to get clients. You need consistency. When I started treating marketing like a weekly practice rather than an emergency, things shifted. If you want to know how to save a struggling business, focus on a small, repeatable system.
Here’s a simple framework:
Choose one primary platform where your clients live (email, Instagram, LinkedIn).
Post or send something useful once or twice a week.
Create one funnel: content → lead magnet → email sequence → offer.
Even a modest funnel can generate leads if you show up consistently. I promise: slow, steady marketing beats frantic bursts any day.
Step 8: Free and Low-Cost Sales Tactics That Work
When revenue is tight, you need sales tactics that don't cost a fortune. Over time I used these to bring in revenue quickly:
Personal outreach: send 10 thoughtful messages a week to ideal clients.
Leverage your network: ask past clients and friends for introductions.
Offer a time-limited bonus to incentivize decisions.
Send an email to your list and remind them of the ways they can work with you.
People hire people they trust. Being helpful and direct will get you farther than polished but impersonal campaigns.
Step 9: Delegate, Outsource, and Stop Doing Everything
One hard lesson I learned is that doing everything myself was killing the business. I was inefficient and exhausted. When you're trying to figure out how to save a struggling business, the temptation is to tighten your grip — but often you need to loosen it enough to get help.
Start small: outsource one task that eats your time (admin, scheduling, basic design). Even a few hours a week freed can be used on revenue-generating activities. As you continue to grow and take on more clients or generate more sales revenue you can continue to outsource projects you don't enjoy.
Step 10: Manage Your Emotional Bank Account
Here’s the truth: saving a business isn't only about spreadsheets and funnels. It's about emotions, too. I had postpartum hormones, the chaos of newborn nights, and the crushing voice of perfectionism telling me I’d failed my family. That emotional noise made it harder to take smart actions.
Practical emotional strategies:
Set a 30-minute daily check-in with yourself: breathe, list three wins, pick one priority.
Talk to someone: a business friend, a mentor, or a therapist.
Be realistic about energy: prioritize high-value work when you're at your best.
When you're emotionally steady, you're better at making decisions that help your business — which is essential when you're trying to learn how to save a struggling business.
Step 11: Cut Costs without Cutting the Future
If profit is negative or marginal, you must reduce burn. But caution: cut things that don't hinder your ability to earn. I trimmed subscriptions I didn't use, paused certain long-term projects, and negotiated payment terms with vendors.
Be surgical about cost-cutting:
Cancel low-impact subscriptions.
Negotiate payment plans for expenses that matter.
Delay growth hires until your offers are proven and profitable.
This balanced approach preserves your ability to grow while securing short-term survival — a key piece of how to save a struggling business.
Step 12: Diversify Income Streams Carefully
Diversification can be a lifesaver, but not if it fragments your focus. When I needed cash I considered side gigs, digital products, and small group coaching. I chose one that matched my strengths and could be delivered cheaply: an easy-to-sell digital resource plus coaching slots.
If you’re thinking about how to save a struggling business, experiment with one new income stream at a time and measure the results. My favourite way to do this is by creating courses. I share my 3 day course creation method in this podcast episode.
Step 13: Reconnect Your Business to Your Life and Values
One of the painful realizations I had was losing small parts of my identity — the summer camping trips, the simple life at a trailer, the feeling of being present with my kids. That emotional gap made work feel worse. Business isn't meant to dominate your world; it should fit into it.
Ask yourself:
What do I want my business to fund? (Time, freedom, experiences?)
What are the non-negotiables for my family life?
Does each business decision align with those things?
When I aligned offers and work hours with what my family truly needed, I felt calmer — and calmer minds make better business decisions. This is a subtle but critical part of how to save a struggling business while preserving the life you love.
You also need to learn to say no. Saying no saved me more than any strategy session. I stopped taking projects that drained me, even if they paid. I started giving short, respectful answers that preserved relationships without wrecking my schedule.
Practice scripts that protect your time:
"Thanks for thinking of me. I don't have capacity for this right now."
"I don't specialize in that, but I can recommend someone."
"I can do X option for Y rate; if you'd like something else, we can discuss a different timeline."
No is a powerful word if you're trying to understand how to save a struggling business. It creates space for the right yeses.
Step 14: Make a 90-Day Survival and Growth Plan
Action without focus is noise. To avoid that, create a 90-day plan that includes survival tactics and growth moves. Keep it simple: three top priorities, weekly actions, and a cash goal.
Sample 90-day plan:
Survival: Secure $X in revenue through three paid offers.
Operations: Outsource admin and create a delivery checklist.
Marketing: Launch a simple funnel and email sequence.
A clear 90-day plan is one of the best frameworks I used when I needed to learn how to save a struggling business — it keeps you focused, accountable, and sane.
Step 15: Build Safety Nets — Small Reserves and Payment Plans
Financial safety doesn't need to be huge to be effective. Even a small emergency buffer or flexible payment plans with clients can make a big difference. I started offering instalment payments for my packages and built a tiny reserve to bridge slow months.
If you want to learn how to save a struggling business, prioritize liquidity. It's easier to pivot when you aren't panicking about the next bill.
Step 16: Track One Metric That Matters
Don't drown in vanity metrics. Pick one metric that directly ties to revenue — leads-to-paid-conversion, average sale, or monthly recurring revenue. Track it like it's your lifeline.
When I focused on conversion of discovery calls rather than likes and followers, my marketing decisions improved. That single focus helped me understand how to save a struggling business in practical terms.
Truthfully, numbers aren't my thing so I delegated this to my bookkeeping and each month they send me an update with the numbers i'm watching so I can continously track what I'm doing.
Step 17: Lean on Your People — Don't Isolate
Entrepreneurship can be lonely. I wouldn't have kept going without my partner's belief and the few friends who spoke truth with kindness. If you're in the trenches asking how to save a struggling business, reach out.
Create a small circle:
A financial accountability buddy
A marketing person you can swap ideas with
A trusted friend who listens
People will remind you you're human, and sometimes that's the push you need to take the next sensible step.
Step 18: Reframe Failure — It's Data, Not Identity
This is my favorite mindset shift. Business setbacks are not moral failings. They're feedback loops. When I treat poor launches or low sales as data, I can experiment rather than wallow. That perspective is central to how to save a struggling business: testing, learning, and iterating.
Run small tests, measure results, and repeat. Over time, the data compounds into growth.
Step 19: Celebrate Small Wins — Rebuild Confidence
Confidence matters. I started celebrating small wins again — the client who upgraded, the email that converted, the week I hit three healthy family dinners. These moments don't fix everything, but they rebuild the bank of belief you need to keep going.
Practical Checklist: A One-Page Action Plan for How to Save a Struggling Business
Use this checklist as your cheat-sheet for the next 30 days:
Run a 30-minute truth audit: revenue, top expenses, time sinks.
Define your one ideal client.
Choose your single best offer and price it properly.
Launch a mini-offer for quick cash.
Outsource one task that costs your time.
Create a simple marketing cadence (2x weekly).
Set a 90-day revenue goal and track one metric.
Build a tiny emergency fund or payment plan.
Talk to someone for emotional support twice this month.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid When You're Trying to Save Your Business
A few traps I fell into (so you don't have to):
Chasing every shiny tactic instead of sticking to one plan.
Undervaluing your time and underpricing services.
Waiting to feel 100% confident before taking a step.
Isolating and hiding your stress instead of asking for help.
When to Consider Pausing or Pivoting
There comes a point when saving a business means changing it. If you consistently can’t cover basic expenses, or your business model relies on skills you hate, a pivot or pause might be the most honest option. Pausing isn't quitting — it's conserving energy to come back stronger or pivot into something aligned with your values.
If you decide to pause, create an exit plan: keep the business legally intact, maintain one small marketing channel, and use the time to reskill or plan the next move.
Wrapping Up: The Human Side of How to Save a Struggling Business
There’s no single magic trick. Saving a struggling business is a mix of financial triage, smart positioning, consistent marketing, and emotional survival. It will not be comfortable. It will not always look pretty. But it can be done — and done in a way that preserves the life you want to live.
If I could give one piece of advice from my own messy journey, it would be this: be gentle with yourself while being brutally honest with your business. You can mourn the life you expected and still build a future you love. That balance — realism plus tenderness — is the heart of how to save a struggling business and keep your life intact.
One of my favourite quotes is:
"Without chaos, there is no order."
Use the chaos to refine a simpler, more resilient business. I'm rooting for you — and I promise: with clarity, a few tactical moves, and a little kindness to yourself, you can turn things around.
FAQ
What is the very first thing I should do to save my struggling business?
Start with a clear financial and time audit. Document your revenue for the last few months, identify where time is being spent, and list the top three drains on your resources. Honesty about the numbers creates the foundation for a realistic plan on how to save a struggling business.
How do I price my services without losing clients?
Price for value, not for sympathy. Calculate your true cost (time + expenses + profit margin), then communicate the value clearly. Offer tiered packages so clients can choose what fits their budget. Raising prices can actually increase demand when it signals expertise and creates better client alignment.
Can I save my business while being a parent with limited time?
Yes. Focus on high-impact activities and protect your best work hours. Outsource or pause non-essential tasks, simplify offers, and build a small, repeatable marketing system. Small, consistent actions are more sustainable than heroic bursts — and are central to how to save a struggling business while parenting.
Should I take a job to fund my business or keep trying to fix it?
It depends on your financial needs and emotional bandwidth. A temporary job can reduce immediate stress and give you runway, but make sure it doesn't kill your business momentum. If you do take work, protect a few hours each week to test offers and marketing so you can continue learning how to save a struggling business.
What quick marketing moves can generate cash fast?
Run a limited-time mini-offer, reach out personally to past clients, and promote a clear, single offer via email and social posts. Personal outreach and simple funnels often convert faster than broad advertising when cash is urgent.
How do I know when it’s time to pivot or close the business?
Consider pivoting if your offers are not selling despite multiple tests and changes, or if you’re consistently losing money. Consider closing if you can’t meet essential expenses and see no viable path forward after a focused 90-day recovery plan. Both decisions are pragmatic, not moral failures.
How can I protect my mental health while fixing my business?
Schedule specific time for rest and non-work activities, set realistic daily priorities, and talk to someone about your stress. Small rituals — a 10-minute morning check-in, a weekly walk — help maintain clarity and reduce overwhelm while you implement steps to save your business.
What's the best way to find clients who will pay fairly?
Clarify who you serve and where they spend time, create a straightforward offer that solves a specific pain, and reach out directly through personalized messages and referrals. Showing clear results and packaging the offer in a way that emphasizes outcomes makes clients more willing to pay fair rates.
How often should I revisit my plan to save the business?
Review your 90-day plan weekly and your financials monthly. The weekly check keeps momentum; the monthly review lets you adjust pricing, offers, and marketing based on real results. Consistent review cycles are essential to learning how to save a struggling business effectively.
What mindset shift helped me the most in this process?
Seeing setbacks as data instead of identity. When I stopped equating business performance with personal worth, I could test, iterate, and take small calculated risks. That shift from shame to curiosity is huge when you're learning how to save a struggling business.
Come say hi!
Ready to level up your life and business taking it from good to great? Hit follow and please leave a review if you enjoyed this episode! The kids and I might even bust out a happy dance! 💗 - Brittany
00:00 Intro
1:30 Dreams of a child
4:00 Losing my identity
6:00 Money struggles as an entrepreneur
9:00 Small business realities
14:30 Personal life
18:00 Getting back on track
23:00 It never feels like enough
28:15 Wrap up
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