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New Perspective, Forced Innovation

April 17, 2020 | Business Journey

By Suzy Rounce

Our perspectives have altered so much now that we have all been through, and still are, in this once in a lifetime event. I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of things that I’ve gone without that I had no idea I could do without, even more so – things that I would prefer to continue to have less of. There are things that I thought I would miss that I really don’t, both personally and professionally.

So that leads to two trains of thought:

ONE – What new problem is your business especially equipped to solve now that we all have less to work with?
TWO – What things do you NOT want to welcome back into your business?

These two questions can help you hone-in, be leaner and more efficient with your operations and offerings.

1.

What things do your customers miss the most about you? Are there new problems that your business is especially equipped to solve? Innovation comes from solving new problems. Use your key skills to overcome them. What little things have people have said or keep asking you about that they miss the most about you? Listen to what they are asking for, can you scale that up? When you do posts talking about what you do best what pieces get the most comments? If you don’t know that, then maybe spend some time digging into what new issues are out there that you have a smart solution for. You might need to pivot or turn an aspect of what you already do into a full offering – you already have the skills so scaling up should be simpler.

2.

On the flip side what things do you NOT want to welcome back into your business? Is it a product line that doesn’t serve you well? Is it something that no one missed at all or something that costs more than it’s worth? Be leaner than before and eliminate the confusion on products and leave them by the wayside when you move forward. Don’t assume that when things go back to ‘normal’ they are ALL worth ramping up again. If you can leave them behind you will be that much lighter, more agile and svelte. Be deliberate about what you let back into your life and into your business.

Overcoming the hardships we face now, is the cost we pay for our success tomorrow. We were made for this. Made to overcome, made to show up and lead our company, our family, our next evolution. Thinking about things this way could give you the mind space to dream up new things or new ways to cut costs or have multi-functional purposes. Before all of this we were all pretty wasteful with so many things: money, resources, ideas, time and energy. Now is the time to be lean and agile, effective and pointed with your business.

What are you going to focus on that you are especially equipped to solve? What are you excited to leave behind?