Times are tough and they have been for a while. Small businesses are struggling. Well, that’s not entirely as bad as it sounds. Small businesses struggle (some more, some less); that’s the way of things. That is part of being in business. But, the economic downturn is making it even worse for some.
But (and, there always is one), I’m optimistic. These tough times can be an opportunity if we take it. To reinvent, fine-tune or rebuild. In tough times, we should be assessing what we’re doing. Is it being done right? Could it be better? What else could be done? Add new (and/or complimentary) services or products? Streamline a process? There is always room for improvement, for sure.
Where do you start? How about thinking differently about your business?
You’ve heard it said you have to ‘think outside the box’ to be really successful. I guess that’s true, in a sense. I happen to think that one of the things that makes a person become an entreprenuer is that he/she does that to an extent anyway. As a small business owner, you’ve probably had thoughts that went something like:
“We need a better [insert mousetrap descriptor here].”
“This shouldn’t be that hard. It needs to be fixed.”
“Wouldn’t it be great if people could ….”
Most of us have been there.
It’s easy to say you’re going to take off the ole’ rose colored glasses and think differently about something. In reality, though, it is hard for us to change our way of thinking that easily. You need perspective and to get the proverbial creative juices flowing.
So, let’s get that engine started and the wheels turning.
The slideshow below was posted by Seth Godin in December of last year. It’s a compilation of ideas from people about what matters now to people. Does it hold the answer for your particular problem? Perhaps. More importantly, though, it’s a selection of fresh ideas and new ways of considering things. So, go through it all and really think about each one as a singular unit, not just how it might pertain to your situation. Remember, the idea is to get your brain geared up. Big picture ideas to instigate creative thought on singular issues.
(If it is too small, just click ‘full screen’ in the top-middle.)
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