Dont Just Survivethrive In 2009
In todays battered economy smart small business owners the world over are searching for ways they can not only survive the recession but thrive.
And why not? Throughout history some of mankinds greatest achievements have happened in the most challenging times. For some strange wonderful reason we humans are often our brightest when times are darkest.
Armed with courage determination and the following small business survival tips you can lead your company into whats sure to be a roller coaster new year with hope and optimism.
lt;bgt;Adjust your attitude.lt;/bgt;
Im not saying you have to be thankful for the crashing stock market or be glad that the economy is in a shambles. Im just saying you have two choices: You can either look at it as a lt;igt;challengelt;/igt; or as an lt;igt;opportunitylt;/igt;. Those who view the tough economy as a challenge will undoubtedly find a great many things to worry about. And worrying requires energy that you could spend finding new and creative ways to build your business. Which is what the people who view todays economy as an opportunity will do. I dont know about you but given the choice between spending my time worrying and spending it building my business Im going to go with the latter.
lt;bgt;Face your fears.lt;/bgt;
When you fear something you give it power over you. You think about it. You stew on it. And little by little it grows in magnitude until it consumes you. Face your fears however and they shrink to their proper proportion. What would happen if your biggest client decides to cut business by half or worse yetfolds? What will you do if you cant make payroll? Identify the things that keep you up at night then develop a contingency plan. If you know what course of action to take if the worst happens then you can put your fear aside and get on with building your business.
lt;bgt;Improve customer service.lt;/bgt;
You may think you have good customer service already but if you want to grow in 2009 you better make sure its lt;igt;outstandinglt;/igt;. Where to start? Start by listening to what your clients are saying. Ask them what they need from you and then give it to them. Do they need flexible credit terms layaway friendly advice? How can you make yourself indispensable to your customers? In 2009 you need to find new and creative ways to help your customer succeed. If you approach every situation with the attitude of going above and beyond youll not only survive but thrive in 2009!
lt;bgt;Cut costs.lt;/bgt;
One of the few good things about a down economy is that it forces us to take a long hard look at our finances. Smart companies dont wait until the cash flow dries upthey scrutinize their expenses and scale back wherever they can. Only you can decide what costs to cutit all depends on your individual circumstances. But as youre going through your expenses look at each one and ask yourself if there is any way to reduce the expense or eliminate it altogether. Are you running as efficiently as you could in all facets of your business? Do you really need that fancy coffee? Do you have the heat cranked up too high? Remember little things add up to big savings!
lt;bgt;Focus on the future of your business.lt;/bgt;
Sure you have to do whatever you need to do to survive the crunch. But you lt;igt;dontlt;/igt; have to go around waiting for the other shoe to fall. Those businesses that refuse to panic during these tough economic times and focus instead on how to move forward will be the ones perfectly positioned when the rebound occurs. Why? Think about itwhile everyone else was wringing their hands you were taking care of business in a calm cool and collected manner. You kept your head and your business benefited from it.
lt;bgt;Build your business.lt;/bgt;
Thats rightlt;igt;buildlt;/igt; your business. Look at the parts of your business that may be weak and figure out a way to improve them. Is your marketing weak? Nows a good time to start formulating your plan and getting your campaign together. Or maybe your weak link is sales. Invest some of your down time while sales are slow in some additional training for your sales force. The point is use this time to your advantage and youll be that much more ahead of the game when the economy bounces back.
Head up shoulders back. All set? Then go out and conquer the world. Or at least your piece of it.
c Copyright 2008 BusinessBurrito.com. All rights reserved.
About the writer: Donna Williams is the founder and creator of BusinessBurrito.com a website dedicated to helping small businesses grow to their maximum potential. She is also a 25year advertising / marketing executive creative director writer and producer. Together Donna and her husband currently own and coown five small businesses. To read more of her articles or to sign up for her free weekly enewsletter visit her website at www.businessburrito.com
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