Well, this was unexpected
Let’s face it, business has completely changed for the foreseeable future, and at first glance this could feel like the worst time to launch a business. But what if it’s not? What if this is your chance to rethink your business model and adapt according to what’s going on right now. Maybe during this unexpected rearranging of how we do business is actually the perfect time to launch a fresh new idea, forcing you to go with the flow a bit more.
I’d been plotting and planning ‘the great launch’ of being full time in this business for a while, and WHAM BAM it happens to be in the same month as the nationwide lockdown in South Africa, as well as the rest of the world. Staying at home also meant no childcare, giving me even more reason to question my next move. Suddenly my carefully nurtured plan was thrown out of the window, and for someone who likes things to go according to plan, this felt like a big blow.
My go go personality wanted to keep all departments going full speed ahead, but I quickly learnt that that wasn’t going to happen. My growth mindset was fighting against this external push to slow down, and although it wasn’t easy to accept at first, I eventually saw it as an opportunity. The world is telling us to stop and take a breather, and we should probably listen to it for once!
Acceptance
The key to all of this is acceptance. Once I was able to accept the situation for what it was, I was able to rewire my thoughts towards it. Sure, this is absolutely not ideal, but here we are. So accepting change and working with it to your advantage is how you can really kick this whole situation in the ass. As Socrates once said:
The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.
So what are you going to build?
Go inwards
Be honest with yourself. Think about your primary doubts and how you can actively work on them. Think about the language that you use to yourself. Is it empowering, or are you always self-criticising? Restructure doubts and any negative perceptions of yourself. Never doubt the power of perception. Once you perceive yourself as fully capable, you truly will be. And for those days when it really feels like you don’t, it’s totally normal to have a wobbly! But don’t let those down days stick. It’s okay just doing the bare minimum some days, as long as you’re using that time to recharge your batteries, ready to bounce back again with an I CAN DO THIS attitude. You didn’t come this far to stop now, so why would you?
Remember your core beliefs: what do you most want to believe about your business? Because until you can truly believe it, how can you expect others to? Check-in with your support team, and make sure you’re surrounding yourself with people (both personal and professional) that hold the same values as you, they’re your people. Now more than ever you should be working on creating an environment that supports change, and is willing to go the whole hog in your business venture.
Take hold of this situation and try to see it not as a pushback, but a chance to rebirth, reinvent and reassess what your business is all about. Now is the perfect time to check in with yourself and ask the questions that you’ve been avoiding, or too busy to think about. Ask yourself, ‘where’s my focus?’ ‘what do people really want?’ ‘what do I really want?’
Be proactive
Okay so things haven’t quite gone to plan, but are there ways you could switch things up to keep business afloat? Be flexible. Maybe you need to push certain things back or maybe what you’re offering happens to be exactly what people need right now. As much as we strive for it, there’s no such thing as job security, so let’s work with what we have and try to figure it out along the way. After all, none of us really have a clue what we’re doing anyway. Fake it til you make it, right?
Be present. Keep showing up and serving, rather than letting your presence dwindle. Now is the perfect time to build your community, so if you have the time and resources, work on that and be there for your audience. We have learned that now more than ever your online presence matters. Connect with your audience.
There’s no time like the present
If you’re keen to level up your business and look like the professional you are, let’s get the ball rolling and have a chat! We specialize in getting small businesses online with custom branding and web design. We can work in your own time, with no clear deadlines and zero pressure. We got this!
