Struggling Business Owners – Be Prepared to Stop …

So here is my Public Service Announcement to any business owner who is struggling – Rebuilding, Revamping, Reconstructing, Renewing  and Reworking your business plan is inevitable.  Be prepared to detour, roundabout, U-Turn, go around, deviate, divert … but most importantly –

Be Prepared to STOP.

If you are like me, those words are bothersome, loathsome and can be brutally irritating.  They mean we have to slow down. Put on the brakes. They mean we aren’t going to arrive at our destination “on time.”  They conjure the thoughts of delays, shortfalls, and roadblocks.  Our productivity comes to a screeching halt.  It means we aren’t seeing new vista’s and mile markers.

There may be several things that stop you in your tracks – plans that didn’t come to fruition, marketing plans that fell short, missed deadlines, or worse – financial constraints, illness or family emergencies that cause you to put down the baton for a while and sit out a leg or two of the relay race. Many entrepreneurs (err… rather, entrepreneur-wannabes) take this as a sign to quit.  Sorry… but you missed the exit.  But, if you are a quitter, it’s good to get out now while you have a good excuse.  No one will blame you.  Well, not to your face anyway…

For those of you who see the construction signs as warnings to slow down, detour, find a new path, or simply “recalculate” … congratulations – you are going to make it.  It doesn’t matter why you were detoured – it doesn’t matter why your road was closed – the fact of the matter is it’s time for a new road.  You need to get out the map – your map being your business and marketing plan, your vision statement, and your mission statement.  Don’t have any of these? Don’t despair – it’s not too late, you can always create a map of where you need to go from where you are now.

So if you find yourself sitting in traffic on the highway to success, be relieved to know that it’s normal to have starts and stops in the course of your business – in fact, plan on it.  The important part is what you do once you are in the flow again.  It can seem overwhelming if you are in the mindset of needing to make up time.  Instead, re-chart your course by writing down new objectives and goals.  Stay accountable by hiring a coach or joining a mastermind group.  Finally, keep checking your navigation systems by reviewing your plan often to make sure you are gaining speed and momentum once again.  And always, always… be prepared to stop.

Need a Map to get you back on track?  Contact me to schedule your mapping session today!