How to Handle Change in Your Business

Written By Guest User

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

Leo Tolstoy

April 2020 marked the beginning of a period of change in how people do business. The pandemic shut down travel, forced people into their homes, and minimized human contact. For many business owners, reduced revenue meant that they had to rely on PPP loans to make payroll and keep the lights on. These constraints created the perfect catalyst for self-growth and innovation but also highlighted the need for self-care.

Restaurants mastered curbside service and companies gave up expensive office leases. For online companies, we welcomed spouses and partners who had not yet given working from home a try. Change is necessary so that your business can evolve and grow, but it can also be a source of tension.

There are several ways to make sure that you handle change in the best way for your business:

  • Begin with the end goal in mind.
    Identify where you want your business to be and what you need to do today to get you closer to that goal. It may be hard to imagine a time when the hard situation that you are going through will be addressed or over, but it will change. Prepare yourself for a life after the dust has settled.

  • Make your business a priority.
    It can feel hard to show up when the world around you is in chaos. Focus on what you need to do to move the needle forward. If you do nothing else, make sure that your business can function at the basic level to keep things going even on the hardest days.

  • Connect with your peers.
    Reach out to your friends and colleagues in the industry to offer one another comfort. The human connection is more important than ever; even if there is an app for that, look to the people who bring you joy and whose energy matches yours.

  • Keep your client needs met by managing expectations and adjusting timeline and support staff as needed.
    Communication is vital at all points of a project. If changes in your life or business are going to impact workflow, let the client know as early as possible. Have a proposed plan in place and some support staff that you can bring in to help keep things as close to the original deadline as possible.

  • Stay focused on the task at hand.
    Leverage the highest and best use of your time to get done what only you can do. If there is a task that you need to complete before someone else on your team can take that next step, do what you can to get that ball rolling. This is not a time for you to multitask and attempt to do everything at once—focus on completing your most important thing to the best of your ability and then let it go.

  • Watch your wins.
    Don’t stew on your setbacks. You have things that are going well, or at least better than expected. Document this time in your business so that you can watch for trends and double-down on your successes.

  • Update your content.

    You may not be ready for a full rebrand, especially if changes are still up in the air, but you can always update your content. Your website copy and recent blog posts should reflect your current direction and voice. Attract more of the clients you want with targeted information that will help them make the decision to hire you.

No business exists in a vacuum. You have personal needs to attend to, as do your clients and as do your employees and contractors. At every stage of your life you need people you can rely on and you need to be someone others can rely on.

Take care of yourself in the best way you know how and continue to learn how to do it better.

Guest User