Remaking Your Business to Work for You!
People go through it all the time. Perhaps even you came to a crossroads before, when you felt like it was time for an overhaul of your life — physically, mentally, politically or spiritually.
Sometimes, a change of location does the trick. At other times, you may need to change up your exercise routine. Reinvention, rejuvenation, regeneration … whatever you call it, an overhaul often gives us the impetus to accomplish even greater things.
Businesses too, in many aspects, can benefit when it comes time for an overhaul. A new look, an infusion of energy and off you go. Whether your need for change came from a loss of the passionate excitement you first felt for your company or from trends that have changed, you need to make time for an overhaul to keep up.
Where to Start
The first step to rejuvenating your company, as with any reinvention, is to take stock of what you’ve got. Ask yourself what’s working and what’s not. Taking a thorough inventory is a good idea for any business — whether you have widgets to count or not. Measure your success and effectiveness by asking some hard questions of yourself, your partners and your staff:
- Are your products and services still relevant? Have you missed any big trends?
- What’s the competition doing?
- Are you meeting sales goals?
- Is your pricing on point?
- Are you happy and still excited about going to work every day?
If you don’t know the answers to some of the questions, dig a little deeper and get the answers. If you respond with a “No” to any of these queries, continue to the next step. You’re on your way.
Making Changes: The Hard Part
As much as many entrepreneurs say they love the challenge of starting over, in fact, most people don’t willingly and enthusiastically embrace change. Some just scrap one business, chalking it up to experience, and move on to the next. Instead, consider what you might be able to do to restore the excitement in your current undertaking. As you make time for an overhaul, consider how you can fix what seems to be broken.
Look for solutions. Sometimes, just a little tweaking of your pricing can get you back on the financial track you first projected. Perhaps your messaging needs an update. Websites, for example, should be revamped every three to five years so you don’t look dated and out of touch — or even out of business! Maybe you’ve spread your offerings too thin and need to get back into the niche that set you on the entrepreneurial path in the first place.
Implementing Change: The Harder Part
After you’ve done the research and focused on solutions to your doldrums, it’s time to take action. Don’t hesitate. Consider William Shakespeare’s words:
“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”
Or better yet, from Albert Einstein:
“Even if you have to go through hell — go without hesitation.”
Waiting for “just the right time,” or “when I have this or that in place,” too often leaves you with nothing to show. Once you’ve identified that it’s time for an overhaul and set some goals, make like Nike and “Just Do It.”
Accept right up front that you may make some mistakes. Recall when you first started out. You certainly had a number of missteps, as everyone does, but they never stopped you then — you were so full of passion for your project that nothing was going to stand in your way. Let a little of that naiveté reenter your psyche. It’s OK to make mistakes; what’s important is that you push through them to the success that awaits.
Dance All the Way to the Bank!
If anyone tells you that taking time for an overhaul and implementing change is going to be easy, they’re lying to you. Expect a few sleepless nights, when fear most often lays bare its fangs. And don’t expect smooth skating through the whole process.
You’re going to have to shift some of your thought processes and perhaps even toss a few ideas that actually were working out well, but just weren’t giving you that kick you need from running a business. So put on your dancing shoes and get ready to reap the rewards of your continued efforts. And remember: if the boss ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.
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