Regaining your business as we start the road to recovery.
Written by Owner & Operator of The Tallent Company, Amy Tallent
Without a doubt, Coronavirus has left the entire world in shock and while you may have not realized it, it probably put your business in a state of shock as well. When we are in shock, we tend to act reactively instead of proactively and there are times of life that reaction is necessary. However, as we start receiving information on how our country, our states, our counties, and our towns or cities will allow us to reopen, its’ time to switch to a proactive state of mind. Here is a 3-step approach to moving your business forward in a proactive manner.
- Refresh your purpose. I have heard more times than I can count, “I can’t wait for things to go back to normal.” But the truth is the old normal may never come back and this can mean big consequences for your business. Your business should solve a problem. So, the question you need to ask is if the “normal” never comes back, is your business still solving the original problem or does it need to solve a new one?
When our company is at a crossroads, I grab a blank, white sheet of paper and put the solution I am solving in the middle with a big circle around it. Then I create a massive web off that circle. I’ll branch out with ways I solve that problem for people, success stories, new ideas, and by the end of doing that I am refreshed in my purpose. And BONUS- I have the tools to market and communicate it effectively sitting right in front of me.
- Adapt. Now that you have refreshed your purpose, it is time to go in every area of your business and see if that purpose fits accordingly. What does that look like? Does your brand, policies, procedures, interaction with clients, and overall process represent this solution? If not, its time to adapt. You also need to have a conversation with yourself or your team on what does communication with your current and potential clients look like in a world where we cannot be closer than 6 feet.Here is a quick tip on that note. Humans were made for connection and interaction. That means emails are not cutting it. Get in front of people through Zoom, Facetime, send a video instead of a text, do a live video on social media… anything where people are experiencing you and body language from you. Right now, it is really easy to lean on emails and text, but you will stand out far more if you are fulfilling the basic human function of connecting.
- And GO! Friends we are going to try things that just are not going to work during this time. We are going to make mistakes and our businesses probably have a little more suffering ahead. But take heart, this will be a time that we look back on and are amazed at how we made it through. The perfect solutions are not in front of us in this season of life, so we need to settle for good enough.
Today we also want to invite you to join our Facebook Group, The Art of Business. This group is filled with hundreds of business owners that are working together to make our businesses stronger than they have ever been. In our video today we are going to go over the web I speak about in step #1. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/theartofbusiness.
And if you find you need help in these areas, The Tallent Company provides business development and communication services. During Coronavirus we are offering a free 1-hour planning session for up to 5 businesses per week. To sign up, email info@tallentco.com.