What To Do When You’ve Tried Everything & It’s Still Not Working: Entrepreneur Edition

No one ever said entrepreneurship was easy. And if you’ve been at it, even for a little while, you probably know that feeling of “I’ve tried everything and I’m just not seeing the results I want”.

The best news in this case is that you’re truly not alone. That sinking feeling of “What else could I possibly do?” is one every small business owner encounters at some point. It can feel heavy, discouraging, and sometimes even make you question whether you’re cut out for this whole entrepreneurship thing.

Here’s the truth: hitting that wall of uncertainty and frustration in business doesn’t mean you’re failing - it means you’re human, and you’re building something real. 

Every business has moments like these. And while they’re tough, they are often the first step to  your next breakthrough.

The Emotional Weight of “Trying Everything”

When you pour your heart into your business - and we know you do - every setback, every perceived failure, feels personal. While the numbers on a spreadsheet do matter, what matters more - and more emotionally - are your ideas, your energy, and your time. 

So when things don’t work, it can easily trigger doubt, frustration, and exhaustion.

But all that struggling doesn’t mean you’re not capable. It doesn’t mean you’re not smart enough, talented enough, or determined enough. It simply means you’re in one of those messy, uncomfortable phases of business growth.

• Setbacks don’t equal inadequacy - they’re a normal part of entrepreneurship.
  

• Struggle often signals growth - it’s a sign that you’re stretching into new territory.
  

• You’re not alone - even the most successful business owners have felt this way, experienced these “failures”, and wanted to simply give up.

When you can honestly, and with lots of compassion, acknowledge the emotional weight of this part of the journey, you’re taking the first step toward moving through it. Instead of pushing yourself harder, sometimes what you really need is to pause, breathe, and recognize just how far you’ve already come.

Reframing “Everything” & Looking at What’s Really Happening

Now when you say you’ve “tried everything,” pause for a beat and unpack what that really means. Chances are, you’ve tried a lot, but not everything. And that’s okay. 

Sometimes the problem isn’t effort, it’s clarity.

Here are a few ways we can reframe the “everything” mindset:

• Audit what you’ve actually done.
  List out the strategies, offers, or actions you’ve tested. Seeing them in black and white helps you notice patterns - what got traction, what didn’t, where did you see growth, etc.
  

• Evaluate the consistency.
  Did you give each attempt enough time to work, or did you pivot too quickly? Sometimes success is just on the other side of staying the course.
  

• Check for alignment.
  Were the things you tried truly right for your audience, your goals, and your energy—or were they strategies that worked for someone else?

When we’re tired or discouraged, it’s easy to lump everything together and feel like we’ve exhausted all our options. But often, what’s really happening is that we need a fresh perspective, a more strategic approach, or simply a little more patience.

The good news? Recognizing this is a powerful step! It takes the weight off your shoulders and puts you back in the driver’s seat. Instead of feeling defeated, you can start making more intentional choices about where to focus your energy next.

5 Practical Shifts to Try Instead of Giving Up

When nothing seems to be working, it’s tempting to simply give up. But often, what’s needed isn’t a total restart, it’s a few small but intentional shifts.

Here are some practical ways to re-energize your efforts:

1. Simplify your focus
What if, instead of juggling five different strategies, you choose the one that feels both doable and truly aligned with your business and focus on that? Instead of spreading yourself too thin with a myriad of smaller projects, that one thing becomes the best version of itself. 

2. Adjust your goals
If your expectations feel impossible, bring them back down to earth. Smaller, achievable milestones can be so motivating! How do you eat a whale? One bite at a time.

3. Change your environment
Sometimes creativity comes back when you shift your surroundings. Try working from a new spot, taking a short break, or reconnecting with a professional community for an energy infusion and new perspective.

4. Ask for feedback
It can be tough to shift perspectives when you’re only talking to yourself! Reach out to a trusted business pal, past clients, or mentors. They may see gaps or opportunities that you’ve been too close to notice.

5. Reconnect with your “why.”
As cliche as it might sound, when you remember the reason you started, it’s easier to find the energy to keep going.

Now we know these aren’t flashy strategies, but they are simple, intentional steps you can take to move through this point in your journey. And in the long run, what you learn in these moments will help build the resilience you need to weather the inevitable tough seasons of entrepreneurship.

If you’re at a point in your entrepreneurial adventure where it feels like you’ve tried everything and nothing is clicking, you’re not alone and there are ways to get through it!

What matters most isn’t that you never stumble, it’s how you learn how to get back up with a little more clarity and resilience each time.

Sometimes the best strategy is patience. Sometimes it’s simplifying your focus. And sometimes it’s giving yourself grace while you figure things out. Progress doesn’t always look like big wins, it often looks like small steps taken consistently, even when it’s tough.

So, take a breath, trust that the work you’re doing matters, and remember: the fact that you’re still here, still showing up, means you’re already stronger than you think.

And if you’re ready for a bit of business support and community, check out Automation On A Mission! We are not just sales and marketing automation and support, we are a close community of small business owners learning, growing, failing and trying again.