The last few months have been challenging for business owners as we’ve all adjusted in our personal lives and in business, during a time of immense emotional and economic disruption. If there’s anything we have learned from COVID-19, it’s that in business new obstacles that we’ve never faced before can and will occur, and can become an opportunity to strengthen our resilience and commitments to our mission, clients, team, and to our own personal vision as the leader. We also know from past economic downturns and times of crisis that the businesses who innovate, plan, and take action, can succeed. The market will swing back. Many businesses that shifted early are seeing growth right now. These times of challenge bring an opportunity for reflection, resilience, and growth.

Our mission is to help heart-centered, mission-driven leaders, to succeed, in whatever that version of success means to you. If you’re aiming for growth ahead, here are 5 specific ways to prepare your business right now:

Revisit and Re-align to Your Why: Revisit why your business exists, why this matters to you. As the leader, you bring the vision to where your business is headed, and it’s important that you’re fueled on all levels to continue delivering on your heart-centered mission. If your business was successful pre-COVID, you had a market. You exist for a reason. Now is an opportunity to examine if that mission still aligns with what you really desire to do with your time and talents as the leader and as the company. This is an opportunity to shift if that’s what is right for you, or to recommit to your mission, to who you serve and why. Either way, whether it’s a shift or a re-commitment, you will come out stronger by being fully aligned to your why.

Optimize Your Website: Your website is an extension of your team – a sales agent that is actively converting leads at all times. If it’s not set up aesthetically, organizationally, and systematically to do that, it’s time for a reset. A few key things to revisit:

• Can the customer quickly identify what you do and for whom so they can make an emotional connection?
• Are FAQs addressed in the content, ensuring that you are answering their questions?
• Is it easy to book a call or consult?

Our team offers complimentary website reviews. Schedule yours here.

Go Digital with Your Marketing: With technology usage at an all-time high and strong indicators that virtual services will remain strong, it’s imperative that you are an active player in the digital world. One of the benefits of digital marketing is that we are seeing extremely cost-efficient leads convert quickly. With the right strategy, you can even tap into notoriously hard-to-reach markets. Make sure to master this during times of “sweet mundane” so you can easily adjust your strategy when challenges arise. Here at SP, we nurtured in over $80,000 in closed sales the last 6 weeks due to digital marketing efforts, which has ensured that I can keep my team employed and keep doing great work for awesome clients. We can help you do the same.

Get Those “Someday Projects” Going Now: It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day and leave the “someday projects” for a later date. It’s important to make sure you have a strong foundation in place to be prepared for growth opportunities that are just around the corner. Projects such as documenting your standard operating procedures should be completed now. If you are planning for growth, revisit your hiring protocol, and your brand and marketing strategy. Need help preparing your strategy to grow your brand? Enjoy our complimentary 5 steps to grow your brand, here.

Commit to Growth by Taking Action: If you’re preparing for the growth, then prepare for growth. If you stay active with only what’s in front of you, you won’t be ahead of the curve. Consider what your business will look like in 6-9 months. What positions will need to be filled? What will need to come off your plate so you can focus on your CEO strategy role as the leader in the company?

If you’re planning to hire, start preparing now. Revisit your mission, vision, and values so you can call in the most ideal candidates. There are a lot of fantastic candidates in the market and the more you clearly speak your brand language and help prospective hires know exactly what you are looking for, the more easily you will call in the ideal fit. When you find those people, take the time to have good conversations. Consider how they will fit in with the wider team, their personality types, and whether the way you run your business is a good fit for them in that role. Plant the seeds for the future so you can be strategic in hiring and so you’re not rushing at the last minute to hire. The last two people we hired were in communication with us for four months before they started. By the time their first day arrived, they already felt welcome and quickly acclimated to the work instead of starting from scratch.

We hope these strategies help you step into your vision for success for your business. If you’re looking at this list and would like strategic guidance on where to dig in first and how, schedule a complimentary strategy conversation here.