“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day” – Jim Rohn
Now I know the term ‘recession’ can put a lot of fear into people’s mind (especially at the moment where everything feels so doom and gloom) but in reality, a recession can simply be an opportunity. It can be an opportunity for growth, it just boils down to how you choose to see it.
If there is one thing I learnt during the pandemic is that in order to grow and sustain a successful business, we need to open to change and doing things differently. Sometimes our hands are forced but we need to be able to respond to these changes and be agile otherwise we can become stuck and fearful which just doesn’t serve us.
So if you are feeling apprehensive about what is to come over the next few years then I want you to try and reframe your thoughts. I want you to step into the possibility that the next couple of years could be a time for growth and expansion. We are all being tested in one way or another but, there is no doubt about it, we can all come through this period a lot stronger with thriving businesses.
So how do we put this into practise? how do we create true and lasting abundance in our business?
Below are 3 simple strategies that are guaranteed to make a difference.
1. It’s all about the mindset
It’s vital that you get your mind in the right place. There’s no doubt about it, your thoughts will directly impact your reality so if you are always thinking the worse then that’s what you will attract.
Whether you realise or not, your thoughts are energy and how you think will impact your success so I encourage you to check in with the thoughts that you are having and if you find yourself having negative thoughts then try to reframe them. Try and turn your negative thoughts into positive ones… get clear on what you want and why you want it. Feel into it… think about what life will be like once you have or achieved what you want and then release it out into the Universe as though it’s a done deal. Believe that what you desire is yours to have. This is such a powerful exercise and trust me when I say, it really does work!
Your mind is your secret weapon because it’s the thing that will bring you exactly what you want. You just need to believe in it and have faith.
2. Flexibility & Adaptability
Experiencing fluctuations in business is nothing new. It’s part and parcel of being in business; there are good times and there are tough times, it’s just part of this crazy journey that we are on. However in order to successfully navigate through the changing conditions, we need to be flexible, adaptable and learn to think outside of the box.
Being flexible starts with an open-mind. It’s about being flexible and willing enough to try new things.
When the pandemic happened, I realised that in order to achieve longevity, I needed my business to be flexibly and adaptable to the changing times and so I focused on creating digital products and selling my online course which fortunately I had created before the pandemic hit.
I realised that in order to achieve long-term and sustainable success, I needed to be thinking about putting my proverbial eggs in multiple baskets, not just one basket which is why I decided to step into the world of online courses.
Not only had I felt a great sense of achievement by creating and selling my own course, I just knew that it would open up new opportunities that would support my business.
I think by adopting an open mindset it led me to explore a brand new avenue that has completely changed my business. It not only shifted my thinking about how I saw my own business, it opened up new opportunities for me and because of that shift, I am here today sharing this episode with you.
The world is going through a shift, nothing is quite the same as it once was so if ever there was a time to try new things then it’s right now. You never know what might happen and personally I think that’s the exciting part!
3. Create new offers that serves more people
One of the ways to create an abundance in your business is through your offer pipeline. Whether you are a service provider providing one to one services to your clients or you are a product creator selling online products, the offers that you have available are going to be what brings in new customers.
We live in a world where there is so much competition out there and so we need to be creating offers that are compelling enough to entice new customers through the door and yet build ongoing loyalty with the customers that we already have.
As a service provider, it’s very tempting to just stick with one type of offer that keeps you working directly with clients but the problem with this is, that at times of uncertainty when people are batting down the hatches, you could see a downturn in your sales because they are being cautious about where they are spending their money. If you only have one offer on the table then you could be exposing yourself and your business to unnecessary vulnerabilities.
So how do we mitigate this?
By simply creating new offers that reach more people and yes, I am talking about creating digital products.
Now if you are the kind of person that is resisting the online space because you perhaps don’t feel comfortable in moving online then hear me out…
The online space is booming. Trends have most certainly changed and people are buying online courses because they want to either learn new things or up-skill.
For example, did you know that during economic downturns, the demand for online learning significantly increases?
Yep, that’s right.
The online course industry grew exponentially during the pandemic and because of that, the world of online learning changed. It’s meant that good quality teaching has become more accessible and more affordable. Gone are the days where people have to trek into adult education centres of an evening after a hard day at work. Now they can simply buy the course they need online and work through it in the comfort of their home home at their own pace and in their own time.
The reason for this is that during times of economic downturns, people use it as a time to up skill so that they can either find a better, more well paid job or use this time to change career paths. This opens ups an incredible opportunity for creative entrepreneurs who want to teach and support others in their growth.
I think the pandemic proved that through times are hardship, new opportunities appeared. New businesses were formed and changes were made. I mean, how many of you never thought you would deliver your services online and yet how many of you did? and what did that bring… continued service, brand new customers, more money, new opportunities… who would have thought that to be possible?
Summary
So you see… just because we may be going through a time of change, it doesn’t mean that our businesses need to stop moving forward. If anything, it’s a time to reflect, recalibrate and realign ourselves to what actually matters and then focus our energies on, not only creating offers that support our customers but also ones that bring us joy as well.
