“You can’t control the wind but you can adjust your sails” - Unknown

Life is change. 

It is no secret that the world has changed dramatically since the beginning of the year. We face uncertain times. To continue our business models along in the same way, expecting the same results pre-pandemic and the more recent social breakdowns, seems nothing less then foolish. But what can you do in the face of such change?

 How can you adjust your sails so to speak? 

ADJUSTMENT OF THOUGHT

It seems the first step is inevitably an adjustment of thought. A realization that things will most likely not, if ever in our lifetime, return to what life was like prior to these events. Accepting this as a possible scenario helps us to not cling to what once was and focus on what we must do to not only succeed but thrive.

FOCUSING ON YOUR MARKET

Find out what specifically your market is in need of. If there is no need for it or if the returns are too meager, how can you adjust what you already have to fit into a niche? One thing to consider is that this unprecedented change, can for the right individuals, provide unprecedented opportunities. Search out the opportunities, think outside the box. This potentially negative situation could in fact be the catalyst that brings you the most freedom. One caveat to this is don’t over think it. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is something simple.

AN IDEA IS NOTHING WITHOUT EXECUTION

Once you’ve decided on a direction and created a business plan, it’s time to execute said plan. To paraphrase Jocko Wllink in his book Extreme Ownership: ‘Make a plan, burn the plan, make a new plan.’ He was essentially saying that no matter how much research you do and how well you have things planned out, there will inevitably be some unexpected circumstance that changes things (kind of like the pandemic) that will potentially stop your forward momentum. Don’t let it. Make a new plan. Be agile. Succeed where others will undoubtedly fail. 

HOARD YOUR TIME

No one person is an island. To focus on growth and becoming the leader in your market, you need to do just that…focus. Time is something that the business owner seems to be ever short of. How many wasted opportunities, connections and more have been the result of just not having enough time to put it into practice. Can you limit the time you spend watching tv? How about social media? The list of time wasters is HUGE! The point is that this present moment presents the present opportunities that may never come again. It’s up to you and you alone to take advantage of them.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SUCCESS

The old adage “you get what you pay for” is an old adage because it has been universally true since the dawn of currency.

This is the time to build your network. Many businesses are going under. Find the best clients to work with at this very moment. Many people will need jobs…Good experienced people that pre-2020 would otherwise have been committed to another company. Find the very best employees now. You can even outsource some of your responsibilities to specialists thereby giving you even more time. For example, how many hours do you spend laboring over your books? Or maybe you never did, in with case you’ve no doubt seen the importance of knowing your financial situation post pandemic. Hire a bookkeeper (*Ahem…yes this is my plug). Not only will you get expert financial help, you will get the comfort of knowing explicitly where you stand financially. You will know if your can take a gamble on some project, buy supplies, expand, etc. And you will receive all the more time to execute your plan, focus on your market and adjust your sails.