There are many perks to starting your own small business. For example, you get to work for yourself, create a flexible schedule, broaden your skill set, and grow at your own pace. But being an entrepreneur is hard, and when you’ve suffered setbacks in the past, it can be especially daunting to think of taking on the responsibilities and uncertainties of launching your own business.

But here’s the thing: If you’ve experienced setbacks, you can use them to become a better entrepreneur. By evaluating your mistakes and learning how to avoid them in the future, you will naturally grow wiser, more confident, and more resilient. For those who want to get their dream business off the ground, here are some practical tips.

Accept your position.

While you should always expect the best in your entrepreneurial endeavors, failure happens. But failure can also be used to your long-term advantage.

The first step is to embrace your setbacks and grieve any loss that resulted, be it a significant financial blow, a closed business, or any other type of loss. Once you’ve allowed yourself to grieve your losses, you can begin to analyze the mistakes that led to your failure and determine how to avoid them down the road.

Resolve to improve.

What factors contributed to your failure? Was it a lack of financial management or the inability to communicate effectively with your team? Did you neglect to make the necessary adjustments in an ever-evolving business landscape? Business failure can stem from any number of sources, and it’s critical that you identify where you missed the mark. After taking an honest assessment, you can start to strategize how you will do things better in the future.

Keep learning.

If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur in today’s world, you have to adopt the mindset of lifelong learning. The market, industries and consumer needs simply change too frequently for you to implement the same strategies and practices year after year. Plus, no matter how knowledgeable or capable you are, there is always room for improvement. Hit the business and leadership books hard, scour the web for workshops, and keep up to date on industry conferences that you can participate in.

Get people on your team.

Being a solopreneur may work in the early stages of your business, but, as MasterClass points out, if you want meaningful growth, then you’ll eventually need to work with a team. Otherwise, you simply won’t be able to stay productive or keep up with growing demand, and you’ll put yourself at risk of burning out.

Start thinking of how you can put together a team that fosters long-term success, whether it’s finding a business partner, hiring a few employees, and/or working with freelancers. And while you’re at it, make sure you have a mentor you can turn to when times are tough.

Prioritize work-life balance.

Building a strong business will require you to work hard, there’s no doubt about it. But that doesn’t mean your business has to define your entire life. In fact, allowing your business to own you can be a major obstacle to long-term success and happiness, notes GoDaddy. Don’t forget to take care of your health, well-being, and relationships in the process. Take breaks, spend time with the people most important to you, and fill your life with activities unrelated to work.

If you’re running your business from home and having a difficult time handling family obligations and separating yourself from your work, you may need a larger space with fewer distractions. Instead of working in a high-traffic area of your home, it’ll be easier to set boundaries when you have your own workspace in a larger home. If you’re considering purchasing a new home to accommodate your home business, a mortgage calculator can help you calculate how much you can spend.

The best entrepreneurs in the world learn to use their mistakes to their advantage. As long as you embrace your past failures and are diligent to improve, you can forge a career that is much stronger and more resilient than you ever imagined. Along with following the tips above, keep researching other ways to put your entrepreneurial pursuits on a path to long-term success!

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