By Nick Psaila
The festive season is almost over, you’ve consumed enough BBQ and Ice cream to feed a nation, the relo’s are back home and it’s time you take a look at what’s what. It’s not that you have been in Antarctica and have no idea about what’s happening in the real world it’s that you’ve been in the mindset of “ Ehh I’ll take a look when I get back next year”
Guess what 2016 is here and waiting for you to kick ass…but Houston we have a problem!!!
Question is are you 2016 ready?
What are you going to do different this year than what you did last? Now I know what most people say “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” however in today’s Business Economy the “ain’t broke” could have already happened.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics there are approximately 2.2 million businesses in Australia and roughly 44 Business owners are closing their business everyday with an average of 964,000 business owners earning less than $100,000 per annum
Einstein shared that the definition of madness was to keep on doing the same thing and hope for a different outcome.So why is it that so many business owners keep thinking that things will get better but they don’t want to change or reinvent their business in any way ?
We get to travel around the country with The Business Re-invention Roadshow, and get to see thousands of business owners face to face and noticed that their are some common themes I’ve witnessed time and time again. I like to call them invisible hurdles or mind viruses. These are the problems that lie just under the surface, you know they’re there and it’s only a matter time before they become critical, if not too late already.
Now let me be clear about these nasty mind viruses. According to Richard Dawkins in his world famous book The Selfish Gene these embedded patterns and beliefs originated far before you actually started as a business owner. they could have been placed into your subconscious mind by a parent , a teacher , a relative, a previous employer and the list goes on and on.
The end result, you feel like you’re stuck and business and pocket is suffering and something has to change.
So here’s 7 signs your business really needs an overhaul or a re invention so to speak?
Lack of Belief – You have simply lost faith in your businesses ability to really grow and make the money you need to have a dream life you originally set out to have. Now I’m not saying you have one bad day and that’s it, I mean it feels like no matter what every day is a drag and you only wish the fairy godmother could wave the wand and make it change.
Enquiries are sporadic – You’re hanging on every enquiry these days and you can’t tell when the “normal” up’s and down’s or traditional enquiry cycles are.
Sales are Down – If you look at the last few years or so of sales data you can see a steady decline and you’re saying things like “ It’s just a bad month, there’s no money out there, people just aren’t buying because of X reason” then you know you have a problem. You may not want to face it but the truth is the indicators are there.
Finding it hard to keep up in the online space – All the technology and changes in advertising due to the internet and the way people enquire is feeling really challenging to you. You know you need to be online except you’re confused due to the information overload of what to do.
Employee’s aren’t sticking around – You find yourself getting angry at everything they do wrong and taking jobs away from them and saying to yourself “ If you want something done you best do it yourself” you see that employees just aren’t showing up to work or leaving without notice.
Feeling uninspired – Every day seems like a struggle for you to get out of bed, You’ve stopped going to networking meeting and you feel like you would rather be anywhere else other than at work. Every time someone asks you how is your day you say things like” same shit different day or same old same old”
Scared to make a decision – It’s not that you haven’t done marketing before or spent money on your business it’s that lately the ROI isn’t there and the things that you thought would bring you the clients just didn’t work out so you’re feeling a little shaky and unsure about what to do next
BTW we see this all the time…The Business environment is changing every day. You MUST keep ahead of it or you may face tougher times ahead and maybe even extinction. There is a solution:
Question is…Are you open to change?
I work closely with our tribe( business owners just like yourself) to help them reinvent, get back on track and grow their business. The following are some keys to help you get refocused and on the way UP!!
What to you want to achieve in the next 12 months – get clear about what your next 12 months looks like. The easiest way to do this is imagine you are going on a holiday and you’re putting together every little detail, you can see it feel it and taste it. And you usually do this months if not years before you go. You know exactly the destination and what you want to experience.
What’s broken, needs fixing or needs replacing – Take stock of what needs a tidy up , start in small segments and use “departments” even if you are a solo operator and breakdown each dept to see what’s great and what may need help.
Shift your perspective – think about it for a second you can either have a glass is half empty attitude or an attitude of gratitude. Take a look around you, most people have to go to jobs that hate and get paid peanuts. You are a business owner with an unlimited earning potential.
Work Smarter – The advent of technology has shifted business from local to global . Experts that are amazing can work for you at a fraction of the cost and love doing the jobs you don’t. A virtual assistant ( someone that isn’t physically in your office) can decrease your workload considerably. Outsourcing tasks like marketing , social media and accounting activities are all available at the click of a mouse.
Invest in yourself – Attend courses, read books and watch amazing content and most of its free. It’s about having a balance of working on the business and in the business. I like to use the 80/20 rule IN vs ON.
Leave marketing to the pro’s – If you’re a small business you must consider using paid advertising ( even if you start with a small budget) Your competitors are definitely doing it and in order to be seen on the internet you really need the power of PPC ( Paid per click) advertising. Now if you’re not that savvy to do it yourself why cause yourself all the stress in the world, getting others to manage your marketing has never been easier . best part about it is you can measure your R.O.I ( return on investment)
Ask for help – One thing I have learnt in over 30 years of business is that there’s no need to do it all by yourself as a business owner . there are experts that can guide you and direct your business to success. the key is having a coach or consultant thats there to get the best out of you. think about it every sporting team , pro athlete , fortune 500, president have coaches. So why do it all yourself ?
In closing there is NO NEED for despair there is help and as in the 80’s smash hit the Six Million Dollar man “ We can rebuild him , we have the technology”
So if your looking at turning your business around, taking it UP a notch, want to increase your income drastically or simply want to get some systemisation and order in your business and most importantly want to create a life/work balance, have time to spend with the family or friends when you want to then I’d like to invite you as my guest to The Business Re Invention Roadshow
It’s a Game Changer. 4 hours worth of highly applicable content and concepts no bull just great information without the hype and high fiving. Over 9,000 business joined us last year so do yourself a favour and register for this FREE event here for has been for many many a business owner a monumental business changing event.
See you on the UPside
P.S Tickets are over 65% booked already and numbers are limited to 50 business owners only. Click here NOW
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