You want to shrink and take it slow, but fight the urge.

We aren’t business coaches and goodness knows things are changing faster than anyone can believe, but the marketing side of our brains are saying that despite the unbelievable disruption, that has changed everything, there will be opportunity amid in all of this challenge. The hardest thing will be to find it, stay focused and begin to reimagine what it might look like months from now.

These are some thoughts that came to mind in the past few weeks as this has unfolded. We have seen it reflected in some of the amazing businesses we get to work with and that are in our community. REIMAGINE is the word that keeps coming front and centre. Our businesses will look different; it will be different that is a definite, but different isn’t always bad. I’m not trying to be Suzy Sunshine (see what I did there) – I’m trying to nudge you in the direction of imagination, of what it could look like 6 months from now, start heading there now.

Found this quote and instantly fell in love with it:

“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end… with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they may be.” – Admiral James Stockdale

Here are 4 things to consider when reimagining the future for your business:

Focus on your core business

WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS THE VERY BEST AT? What products and services are still relevant right now, or will be in the near future? Are they as good as they could be? We should be spending this moment of quiet (or chaos) to return to improving your best products and sharpening your performance. It is how you will be ‘untouchable’ as Tom Bilyeu says, on the other side of this. Do your products present themselves as well as they should? Focus on things like clarifying how people can work with you, your key messaging, website experience, product marketing funnel and overall experience of working with you. You are looking for a WOW experience! Average won’t do, it was never good enough and it definitely isn’t now.

Website presence

If ever there was a time to make sure your website was aligned, current and relevant – it’s now. Does your website really showcase who you are as a business? Is it clear what your core purpose is and how you solve problems for your clients? Since they can’t see you in person and the idea of ‘word of mouth’ for your marketing is dead in the water right now (it’s also the lazy-mans way of marketing) your web presence becomes an essential tool for you.

Identify a problem then find the people

Based on what you do best think about the real problems that your customers are having right now and how can you best help and support them. What is your solution to that one problem? We aren’t talking about solving all the problems out there right now… just the one problem you are best equipped to help with. Once you have identified that and thought about how it will unfold in the months to come then you need to go find the people who need it. Go to them (virtually) talk to them, understand them and explain how you can help.

Obstacles ignite innovation

This is a great way to think about what lays ahead for us. There are many obstacles in front of us and our job is to be innovative enough to find solutions. It’s what has always ignited innovation. Amazing companies have been founded in really tough situations.

You are not the victim here, you are the inventor.

How can you revolutionize your industry? How can you change how things were always done so that you can offer a real solution to the new problems that lay ahead.