ANN ARBOR – It feels like the right thing to do. Put your nose to the grindstone and just do your work. It feels right to be in the labor of your business because you think this will lead to the quickest increase in sales and better sales.
The truth of the matter is that the world has changed and business is different. We can’t open our business and run it the same way for years and years and remain profitable. We have to be prepared for customers that change what they want, how they want it and when they want it in some cases over night. We have to be prepared for vendors who want to change quickly how they get paid, how they deliver and what they deliver. We have to be prepared for employees who are less committed to us as their employer and more committed to getting a steady paycheck, the flexibility of their day and the trust that they will be well cared for. Gaining the agility you now need as a small business owner to adapt to these and many other moving targets is a critical skill for business survival today.
How do you do this? One thing to remember is that there are many organizations and individuals with tremendous expertise that can help you. You don?t have to do this alone. For example the Great Lakes Entrepreneur?s Quest (GLEQ), ConnecTech, the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center (SMIC), the Small Business Technology and Development Center (SBTDC), TechTown, Battle Creek Unlimited, the Kauffman Foundation and scores more in the state can help. Regardless of where you go, it is really important to take the time to develop the skills you need to become an agile entrepreneur.
As business owners begin to learn the new world methodologies for interacting (increased technology) and are able to assimilate quickly, they will be the leaders in their industries. And sometimes those will be the only that survive. Those business owners will better be able to capitalize on their invested time, energy and resources. The Kauffman Foundation (a non-profit organization committed to supporting entrepreneurs) has a series of programs that facilitate the process of entrepreneurial reflection and planning that uncovers these new methodologies.
Listening to Your Business is one of these programs. It is specifically focused on helping entrepreneurs that have been in business for years or are just starting an enterprise. They will learn to build the skill of visioning, setting milestones, identifying roadblocks and setting together an action plan they can work with from that very afternoon.
Check on the Kauffman Foundation EducationalWebsite or GLEQ?s site
GLEQ.Org for these short 4 hour Listening to Your Business programs that are currently being held around the state.
It doesn?t matter where you go to get this help; the important thing is for you to begin. Begin by picking up your head and looking at the horizon and chose to gain the skills you need to have a successful venture in today?s and tomorrows marketplace.
Suboski and Company helps business owners balance the strategic and the tactical, with knowledgeable business advice and just enough expert help, your business and personal goals can be achieved.
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