I don’t think it’s the right time. I don’t have all the resources I need yet. What if this happens? I don’t know all the steps to take.
Do you hear yourself saying these things often, and find they stop you in your tracks?
They stop you from taking the next step, from doing what you know you should be doing in your business, but don’t.
You either have a clear idea or some idea as to what you want to achieve in your business but until you have all your ducks lined up, you hold yourself back from taking that step. This hesitation often delays progress and prevents you from applying the business growth strategies that help move your business forward.
What happens here is the following:
• You get stuck and don’t get moving
• You take longer to get your results
• You are ready to give up
But what if we turned this around and assumed you already had all the answers you needed? Would you then say yes?
Let’s try this for a moment.
Choose a situation, a thought, an idea, or a challenge you have been sitting on for a while, and say:
“Yes, I’m going to move forward with this, even though I don’t have all the answers yet and I have some fear about how this will turn out.”
Say yes, and then work out the how.
That is the approach to take.
I know it can feel scary, especially if you like certainty around the decisions you make, but give it a go. What is the worst that can happen?
Grab a notebook and write down what you have said yes to.
Taking Action Is One of the Most Effective Small Business Growth Strategies
Examples, of saying yes to:
• Creating an offer to your target market by the end of the month
• Generating [insert dollar amount] by [insert the date]
• Sending out weekly educational emails to your database by [insert start date]
• Posting [insert frequency] on social media
• Contacting a certain person who has been on your list for a while
• Creating an event, online or offline for your audience/potential clients
• Getting help from a person you know can assist you
• Setting boundaries in your business [example, the days and hours you work]
What’s important here is knowing your intention, what outcome you want to achieve.
It is also about getting started and trusting that the how will become clearer as you move through the process. Taking consistent action is often the difference between stalled ideas and real business growth.
In some cases, your plan may not go as anticipated. You may be led in a different direction. But ultimately, your aim is to get to your destination, the outcome you want.
No more reasons or excuses about why you can’t move forward in your business.
It is time to say YES and begin your journey towards your goal by taking the first step.
So, what is the first step you need to take?
Once you know what that is, take action.
Once that is done, ask yourself, what is the next step from here?
Keep going and before you know it, things will start to unfold for you and your business.
Along the way, you will also learn a lot about yourself. You may even surprise yourself with how resourceful you have been with your time, knowledge and the resources available to you. This is where practical business growth strategies begin to take shape through experience and action.
At each step reflect on your experience and ask some questions – Here are some questions to get you started:
1. Am I on the path to achieving the outcome I want
2. What have I learned from this
3. What resources did I need
4. Who was able to support me
5. What could I have done differently
6. What will I continue to do moving forward, in the way I think, what I say to myself and the actions I take?
Use this process for one area of your business you want to work on right now, then repeat it for another area.
Taking action, reflecting and adjusting your approach are among the most practical small business growth strategies you can apply to keep your business moving forward.
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