3 TIPS TO OVERCOME THE FEAR ZONE WHEN YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO SHIFT

Have you been feeling like it’s time to make some changes in your business? Have you sensed the changes happening in the way business/brands are presenting their products/services? Do you feel overwhelmed and intimidated…possibly to the point of being frozen when you know full well it’s time to shift? Well…you’re not alone.

I believe that there’s a phase in every business where we are required to re-evaluate and stretch to new levels.

Perhaps confidence has been gained in one aspect of your business and therefore the comfort of knowing it all and doing everything with perfection will stump you from wanting to go to another level. A level of the unknown or somewhere that will require you to try and fail again.

We are living in a really fast paced CREATIVE culture. More than ever before. If we don’t find new ways to adapt to the changes occurring all around us, we might find ourselves being a business that was “once great!”

So how do you overcome these mindsets and barriers that want to keep you safe and comfortable so that you can see a new phase of your business come to life?

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE WHO YOU USED TO BE.

A lot of the times when we are needing to make a shift in business, we are trying to hold on to the way things worked when they used to work well for us. You’ve changed. Your mindset has changed from the time you opened your business. You picked up a few things that are essential to where you are now. It’s important to see those elements and embrace them. Were you single when you opened your business, and now you’re married with children? Then you’ve matured a lot and your business needs some updating because your inner self has changed. You’re probably struggling to see how that old business with such new internal things mesh. Well, they do and then they don’t! Business is so personal and as you transition in your personal life, so will your mindset about your business. Did you used to operate business from a home office and now you have a brick and motor with employees…well…geez, you’ve gone through some major changes and your business should be reflective of those changes. Shifting and changing in business doesn’t have to be intimidating or confusing…it should be exciting and new.

Tip: Build a community with your audience/clients. They’ve been devoted to you and your business for a reason. They aren’t going to leave you during the changes. Be honest about them and you’ll build stronger connections. There is a professional way to share changes and shifts. Focus on giving enough detail but not more than a community can handle.

YOU’VE DONE IT BEFORE, YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN.

You’ve built a business once, and you can do it again! It feels scary to think of “starting over.” I look at business a lot like having a baby [your firstborn] and as your business grows and evolves you add another baby [a second child]. That transition feels shaky. You wonder if you have the capacity or the capability to do it all again. To start all over and raise a new baby. But …you’ve done it before and your baby is well and you can do it again. And just like every baby experience is different. So will birthing another level or season of business. But you can stand firm knowing that you’ve done it before and you’re capable of doing it again.

Tip: Take everything you’ve learned about raising your first business and apply it to your second. You’ll start stronger. I feel like this was my biggest success when I shifted from a 13 year photography business to now a BRAND/MARKETING business because I was able to take all of the knowledge I’d learned from one business and start stronger. I was more equipped and prepared and you will be as well as you navigate into those uncharted territories!

STUMPING YOUR GROWTH WILL LEAD YOU TO A DEAD END.

This is my most passionate conversation! After a decade or so of doing what you do-you should ALWAYS ask “what’s next!” Always! If you don’t ask those questions and if you stay simply doing what you know because it’s safe and comfortable, you might find yourself at a dead end quicker than you expected. Why? Burnout. Lack of drive/energy and excitement that occurs when you’re risking and trying something new. People get tired of the ordinary and if you’re not changing it up they will lose interest in your brand/business. It is essential as creative entrepreneurs to set the bar for ourselves, our team, our atmosphere. We should be growing, changing, and shifting and staying current. There is so much competing for the attention of others that if we don’t find ways to drive our business through creative strategy we are going to fall behind.

Tip: If you’re feeling stumped and you’re lacking motivation, drive, enthusiasm for your brand/business this might be a clear picture that you need someone to help ignite you again. Something has occurred that has caused you to lose your fire and when a fire is out it’s hard to show up to your day to day operations-let alone feel like you’re creatively going the extra mile. Call a friend that can spark something inside of you. Contact someone who can bring your charizma back to the table and help you to see fresh vision for your business.

Stay present, relevant, and mobilized in your business. Don’t allow doubt or fear to grip you. Make changes sooner than later and don’t get comfortable too long! I’m excited to see where you take your business to next! It’s time…don’t you think?