Happy July Part Two!

I am not on vacation this week, but it feels like everyone else is! I don’t want to ‘burden’ you with more new content to read on a sunny summer week. So instead I am sharing two past blog posts that perhaps you missed the first time around – or perhaps you could use a reminder of the incredibly insightful, um, insights, that I share once a month (said with total modesty of course!). Take a look with the links below, or just enjoy my short commentary and move onto the next thing on your To Do list.

Post #1 - Top 10 Challenges of Growing Your Small Business​

This article is great guide to help you figure out your own business journey (if I do say so myself). Which step are you on right now? Check out this roadmap to growing your business – along with some resources to guide you at each step. Which challenge really resonates with you right now?

Hiring and delegating? Building a team? Managing cash flow? Scaling? Maintaining consistency? Growing your marketing strategy? Creating a company culture? Figure out which step stands out to you and check out the articles and books I recommend for that step.

Post #2 – Create Your Successful Future – 4 Strategies to Future-Proof Your Small Business​

And here’s the second one – looking to the future. Do you think your mornings might start like this sometime in the future? And how far into the future do you think this might be our new reality?

“Good morning!" your chatbot says as your blinds start to slowly open.

"Your first meeting isn’t until 10am, so you have time for a workout after your breakfast. I have notified the coffee maker to brew your coffee, and scheduled a bike ride through the Alps on your smart bike to get your heart rate up a bit. Your robo-taxi will be picking you up at 9, so you are in your office well ahead of your first meeting. I have taken the time to answer most of your emails and moved a couple personal ones into a folder for your review. The fridge says you are low on cream and eggs, so they were added to your Smart Shopping list to be delivered this evening.”

Cool future vision, but maybe you’re just wondering what the 4 strategies are but don’t want to read the whole post? I’ve got you covered – here they are:

(1) Practice environmental scanning (pay attention to the news and think about how it relates to your business),

(2) Focus on differentiation (what makes you unique?),

(3) Leverage peer networks – for referrals and as a support system to push you to grow and think more strategically, and

(4) Embrace lifelong learning – push yourself to learn new things to stay ahead of trends and changes in your industry.