The world around you is changing.
Something just does not feel right. You鈥檙e not sure what it is but you have feelings that have crept into your consciousness. Feelings such as not being inspired in general about your business, procrastinating about making decisions or just having no creative energy.
These feelings can be rather upsetting but they are indications that perhaps it is time to pivot and take a new direction and make some changes with your product, service or marketing strategies.
Change is not something that you can take lightly or jump into without giving it a lot of thought. It also does not necessarily mean that you have to take a wrecking ball and level everything to the ground.
Pivoting your business involves making some strategic adjustments. It requires careful analysis of what has been working for you, identifying what has not been working, what has changed in the marketplace and developing a new strategy that will put you back on track.
One of the most difficult aspects of making changes is the ability to let go of things you have been doing since day one. As you are reviewing your business and your strategies keep in mind this quote attributed to Albert Einstein, 鈥淚nsanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.鈥�
Another barrier to change is poor clarity of vision. Now is the time to go back to your strategic plan and have a look at your original vision statement. Is it still relevant, does it still fit with the marketplace and reach out to your customers? Or have things changed so much that it requires a re-think of what your vision should be in order to reflect the current climate.
Many businesses have had to deal with some dramatic changes in the past few years. Given the current business landscape there does not seem to be any relief coming in the foreseeable future. External factors have certainly changed consumer behaviour which in some cases has made the current model somewhat obsolete.
This does not mean that you have to abandon your core business. It may mean that you have to find new channels to reach your best customer. On the other hand it may mean that you need to upgrade your current product or service, to be innovative and take advantage of new opportunities.
The reality is that none of these changes can take place overnight. Like any other business strategy it will take some planning. It also means that you don鈥檛 necessarily need to do this by yourself. This may be difficult if you are a one person operation but it is imperative that you do some research, seek out advice or at least talk it out with someone you trust.
Making changes takes time and effort. Don鈥檛 be discouraged if you don鈥檛 see immediate results. As George Bernard Shaw said, 鈥淚magination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.鈥�
Joe Smith is a communications consultant and an accomplished fine artist. He can be reached via email at joesmith@shaw.ca
