As Michelle and I have been chatting with wedding pros recently, we’ve been hearing murmurs of people indicating they are worried because their business is still slower than past years and they’re not sure what to do with their down time.
Did you know…many successful companies actually opened their doors during an economic downturn or when sales in their industry were down? Just a few examples:
- Hyatt – 1957
- Burger King – 1957
- Fed Ex – 1973
- Microsoft – 1975
- CNN – 1980
- MTV – 1981
Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of a slow season, we want to encourage you to see it as an opportunity….a great time to re-focus: to re-define your customer and niche in a great level of detail, to re-evaluate your promotional strategies, to launch a new product or service, to foster your supplier relationships, etc.
Once when my business was experiencing a lull and I was wondering where my next client would come from and how I’d pay the bills, I called my Dad to ask for his advice on how to make it through this slump in sales. He’s been an entrepreneur for years and has been through many ups and downs with his businesses, so I knew he would give me some sage advice. Sure enough, his response to me was in the form of a question back that I will never, ever forget. “Kelly, did you do one thing today that will help to move your business forward or take it to the next level? If your answer is yes, then you’ve probably done all you can do for one day so you should feel proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
Ahhh…such a refreshing state of mind, to know that today, even if I did one thing to help move my business forward then that is all that matters.
So if any of you are experiencing down time, try focusing on one thing a day that will help move your business forward – maybe it’s reaching out to a new colleague, designing a new logo, researching local wedding industry stats, or sending someone a thank you note. No matter how big or small the task, you should feel great knowing you did at least one thing to charge ahead! If you’re persistent, that one thing a day compounded over weeks and months should eventually pay off and you’ll see the fruits of your labor!
What one thing can you do today to move your business forward? Do it, and be proud!
by Kelly Simants
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