The business world can feel uncertain right now. In fact, the whole world can feel uncertain right now. There's a lot of confusion and a lot of unknowns - about what's going on in our state and beyond, how the world and our businesses are going to look next week, the week after, even a year after. Many of my clients are unable to operate under the Governors' guidelines. Many of those who are able to operate are doing so in ways well outside their norm and in limited capacity - myself included.

As things were starting to shut down due to COVID-19, I was facing the same challenging questions that my clients are: what do I do if I have to completely shut down my business? How do I operate in a virtual world when the work that I do is so physical? I wanted to share some questions that I came up with to help my business thrive as much as possible during this time, and hopefully you can apply these to your business as well!

1. What are others in my industry doing well that I can do even better now that I have more time?
2. What content can I generate for social media and other marketing materials so I position my business better when this is over?
3. How can I generate income using the knowledge in my head, without producing a physical product or service?
4. How can I stay connected with my clients from afar? (How can I thank my clients so they know I’m thinking of them?)
5. Are there digital solutions out there that I haven’t researched fully because I haven’t had the time, or that I dismissed because the physical solution I already offered was superior?
6. How can I partner with others to make what I do more valuable to my clients?

I’ve been spending time with each question, and I keep going back to these even as (especially as) the business world is continuing to evolve - reopen, pivot, thrive. Let’s dig into the first one, and we will explore the other five this week. 

1.) What are others in my industry doing well that I can do even better now that I have more time?

Somewhere in the world there is a business in your industry that is crushing it - find them and check out what they are doing. It will be easy to find them - they will show up at the top of a Google search, you’ll see them again when you start looking at industry hashtags on social media. They are in your mailbox, your radio, your magazines. You might need to go out of your comfort zone - SnapChat? TikTok? YouTube? With an open mind, look at how they are reacting to this crisis. What are they doing that is pretty cool? Maybe they have come up with an income stream you haven’t considered yet. Maybe they are giving back in the most amazing way (I have never wished for a 3D printer more in my life after seeing some shops making PPE with theirs!). Here’s my advice on checking out people in your industry - you have to do it with an open mind. The businesses that are crushing it might be your competition - an online competitor or they might be right across the street. You don’t need to be them. You just need to see what they are doing well that you can do even better and in your own way.

It can feel like every day presents new information, a new challenge, a new question. This week we'll be exploring the questions and challenges I mentioned above. It is my hope to provide something insightful, informative, maybe even inspirational. I hope you will continue to check back each day this week as we continue this journey together. Stay safe, stay strong and stay well.