Toronto, Ontario -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/10/2007 -- That one big client you wanted to land just turned you down; that star employee you wanted to hire left you hanging; and, the thousands of dollars you spent on marketing are having little effect. Meanwhile, your competitors seem to be getting everything right.

It is a familiar picture for most entrepreneurs. Obstacles present themselves on a daily basis and you can’t do anything about it. Or can you?

Entrepreneurship expert Evan Carmichael suggests you can. “As entrepreneurs, we may never be making as much money as we want, be growing as fast as we want, or be networking as wide as we want, but none of that matters as long as we have one thing,” he says. “Motivation.”

Entrepreneurs are by definition risk-takers, and if they’re going to keep taking those risks and staring uncertainty in the face, they need to learn how to stay motivated through it all, says Carmichael.

“No problem is too big for the person who has the drive to keep going,” he suggests. “With drive, you can overcome everything and achieve anything.”

Carmichael admits, however, that motivating yourself, not to mention those under you, is no easy task. So, how does one do it?

First, he suggests, remember the oldest trick in the book. “Rewards,” says Carmichael. “Nobody likes to admit it, but we’re all a little bit selfish. Give yourself or others an incentive to work for and watch the productivity go up.”

Secondly, make sure everybody on your team knows what they’re supposed to be doing. “Come together to create goals, and give people clear roles for proceeding,” says Carmichael. “People will work better if they know exactly what’s expected of them and by when.”

Carmichael’s third suggestion is to create an environment that people will like working in. “You want to strike a balance between fostering a team spirit and encouraging individual success. As social beings, we like working in groups, but we also like knowing that our hard work and creativity will be accepted and recognized.”

Fourthly, ensure that there is a free flow of communication between everyone. “Your staff should know that by coming to you with a problem, they won’t be punished,” says Carmichael. “By being friendly and offering constructive criticism, you can motivate your troops without resorting to fear.”

Finally, Carmichael suggests that those entrepreneurs who work alone often have it tougher than everyone else since there’s no one else to keep them on their toes. But that doesn’t mean they should give up. It just means they need to dig deeper to find their drive.

“Solopreneurs need to constantly go back to their dream, to their original vision,’ he says. “If that dream is no longer something you want for yourself, then chances are you won’t find success anyway. But, if that dream is still alive, then fight to keep going. What got you started in the first place can keep you going through to the end.”

Evan Carmichael is available for an interview. Please contact him at evan@evancarmichael.com.

Evan is an entrepreneur and international speaker. Evan's website, http://www.evancarmichael.com/ is the world's #1 website for small business motivation and strategies. With over 160,000 monthly visitors, 1,350 contributing authors, and 25,500 pages of content no website shares more profiles of famous entrepreneurs and inspires more small business owners than EvanCarmichael.com. Evan has been interviewed by newspapers, radio stations, and television stations including The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, Metro, CHUM FM, CityTV, Global TV, OMNI TV, Enterprise, and the Toronto Sun.