In times like these, it might feel like we’re in a business “famine” – so it’s more important than ever to look for the bright spots and good news stories.
In Chip and Dan Heath’s best-selling book written over a decade ago, Switch, How to Change When Change is Hard, they talk about looking for bright spots. And there’s one real story in the book I want to highlight:
With the unprecedented economy we’re currently in, the thought of selling and continuing “business as usual” may be nerve-wracking and next to impossible for some business owners. It’s not business as usual.
However, there are things most business owners can do to adjust their business and continue selling.
Even though it feels like everything is changing – with news coming out about new measures and restrictions on businesses in an effort to flatten the COVID-19 curve – there are two crucial elements you can take into consideration.
With businesses needing to hunker down and weather the economic implications of COVID-19, you may find yourself with more time on your hands than expected.
I’ve had a number of business calls with clients in the last couple of days. Some have been emergency-style calls, as we try to determine how to handle this situation we are all in.
A lot of people are feeling really overwhelmed and panicked- especially about money and business. They’re worried about taking care of their family, taking care of their employees and their customers.
We’re all feeling this way. There are some things we cannot control, but I also wanted to suggest some ideas of things you can do right now to fill your time wisely.
Last night, I decided to pull the plug on this week’s typical message and blog. Because it’s not business as usual. I shared this with my newsletter community today:
Over the last week, I’ve spoken to a number of business owners who are trying to balance business as usual with everything that is happening in the world with COVID-19.
I’ve heard stories from people in retail who can’t get their products out of China, people who can’t get their exports to China, service providers who can’t travel because their clients have set travel bans, workshops and events that have been cancelled… and that’s just a small portion of what is happening.
Do you have a plan to scale your sales and earn more profit? The path to growth isn’t linear, that’s for sure – but it’s possible with sound strategy, time and dedication.
This week, an entrepreneur shared her story and then asked two questions in a group (question has been paraphrased and some details have been changed to protect her identity):
Are you in start-up mode in your business?
Here’s a question: do you know much about lawn aeration?
It was 1997, and my husband and I decided to start a small business on the side. He was a new police officer and worked shift work which allowed him to have a side hustle and we were both entrepreneurial-minded.
A few weeks ago, we tackled how to ditch pesky repetitive tasks – you know the task I’m talking of: it’s mundane and tedious. You either need to trim and tweak it, transfer it or trash it entirely.
Listen, anything repeatable can be automated. But, while some repetitive tasks should be systematized to save you time, others should be embraced. Why? Because they are your differentiators.
Are you an approval junkie?
She said, “You’ll never make any friends being like this.”
I replied, “I’m not here to make friends – I have friends. I’m here to do a job.”
You should care more about being respected than you do about seeking others’ approval and validation.
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