If you think that it is going to take a miracle for your business to survive current events, you are probably right.
Asking for a miracle to save your business is like asking to win the lotto. Lotto wins like miracles are in short supply right now and regardless of whether you buy a ticket weekly or not, you can’t sit on your backside waiting for fortune to come to you. The Law of Attraction will tell you that we all have the ability to visualize and create our own future. That’s true, but real success never comes without significant input, whether it’s physically hard work or mental stamina. The decision to start meditating, filling your vortex or doing a yoga class each day takes as much determination and will power as it does to start putting in a plan in place to save your business.
This means if you want your business to work you are going to have to do things you don’t like as well as the stuff you like.
Regardless of whatever motivational saying you hear each day or share on your social media, nothing comes without laying a strong foundation and that means work. If you are not scared of hard work or the idea of doing the planning, creating the strategies, the processes, and the procedures for a successful business, then you are going to be okay and with the right coaching, you can work towards a brighter future in your business. But like a relationship breakdown, if you want to get through the rough patch, you’ve actually got to want to work at it.
Current events have opened the eyes of business owners and managers to gaping holes or deficiencies in their businesses and have given us time to make those changes, to get back on track, and to start again in a way that will provide greater satisfaction for owners and customers. It has also made people realise what they want may not be what they have, and some business people will find themselves walking away from this, to grow in other directions.
There’s no right or wrong way at the moment. The right direction is a very personal decision for everyone, but realise that the right way for you may take a lot of changes in the way that you approach your business, not only the mission and culture within your business but also the systems you now put in place to help it grow.
If you feel that you are floundering right now and need direction, then it’s most likely you don’t have the systems in place to deal with a downturn in business. It’s like finding out halfway setting up your campsite that someone had forgotten to pack the tent pegs or heading into the pits to change a tyre on a very important race only to find that someone forgot to bring the spare wheel.
Steven Keague coined the phrase “proper planning and preparation prevent poor performance” in his book The Little Red Handbook of Public Speaking and Presenting. The phrase has been adapted many times but is relevant to everything in life, from business to relationships, to money, education, and particularly marketing which is ruled by the four “P”s; price, product, promotion, and place. Todays’ marketers now believe that performance and people (customers) should be added to that list as well.
When we start working with businesses on the 7 Steps to More Customers, we realise that regardless of how good the marketing is, that bigger problems exist within the business. Anyone can make a garden, but only those who have done the prior planning can make that garden prosper. If you are serious about your business then now is the time that you are going to have to invest money and time with a business coach to get the basic procedures in place to move your business forward. A great business coach will work on your business purpose, market potential, competitors, financials, your team, and your marketing to create an overview of your business, decide what areas need work and help you create the framework for improved performance in the next few months and years.
Those businesses that are overleveraged or don’t have a strong business foundation may not survive the current recession, but if you are willing to put in the work now, you can get through this. The question you need to ask yourself is “do I want to?”
At Rebel Connect, our mission is to build strong businesses, and to do this we work with our preferred partners to help business owners prepare for success by implementing proven business planning and marketing strategies. Success is not built on miracles but comes at a price and that means money, time, and hard work. If you are prepared to work hard on your business, then we will roll up our sleeves and work alongside you.
Our business survival packages start from just $1998 per month and include working with a business coach weekly, building the marketing tools and advertising strategies to get your business on the path to success. Find out more about our Business Survival packages here.
