February 7, 2021 5 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Many entrepreneurs are stuck, frustrated, delusional or complacent. They generally don’t have enough time, they have too few customers, recruitment is difficult, and they are overcome by self-limiting beliefs and their fixed mindset.
As an entrepreneur, you must always be thinking about reinventing a process, a system, your team and your products. Customer acquisition shouldn’t be a practice when you don’t have enough customers; it needs to be a constant, along with many other variables.
The problem is everyone gets busy, and most of the time, it’s because of growth or adversity.
Related: Bouncing Back and Staying Optimistic in the Face of Adversity: The How-to
People complain about limited resources and poor cash flow all the time but hear me; everyone starts with nothing. Whether you’re new to business or a seasoned serial entrepreneur, we all started with nothing. Sure, some may have started with an education or a few dollars in their pocket, but for most of us, we began our journey with none of those things. Instead, we began with passion, purpose and a hunger for achievement and fulfillment.
The very best entrepreneurs keep it simple, and from my observations working with hundreds of entrepreneurs from start-ups to elephants, there are six proven ways to help your business grow and flourish.
1. Check yourself and become self-aware
Know where you came from, who you are, what you stand for and why you are here. This is about purpose and self-reflection.
Becoming self-aware is one of the single most important traits of responsible leadership. I bet you are thinking, “I have no time. When I am going to find the time to reflect?” If this is you, stop it. You still have the chance to change your mindset.
2. Human connection
Business owners must get back to basics and reconnect with their customers on a human level. Pick up the phone and say hi! Don’t try and sell them something. Instead, engage in a meaningful conversation. Your customers are your fuel and these days, most humans feel isolated, unloved, lonely and alienated because the world is increasingly driven by technology.
Related: What I Learned About Business and Human Connection From Live Streaming for 100 Straight Days
3. Values
Customers are values-driven, so building your future content on your values will help you on your quest for customer connections. Now, if you have been growing your business for years and have lost direction, clarity or control, it’s likely that your messaging is no longer valid and nor is your method of communication. Therefore, it’s critical to review your message and your assets and test them against your values and your brand proposition.
4. Focus matters
Is your business all things to everyone? If your message is confusing and not relatable, how is anyone going to buy from you? We all experience this from time to time. As an entrepreneur, I have experienced this when running many companies simultaneously. Despite my efforts and those of my employees, our focus was stretched, and each brand’s focus was off-key.
My point is, go back and review your product suite and make sure your product is aligned to your values and that your message is focused on your customer. This will make it easier for them to buy from you — and this means more revenue!
5. Building value
To build value, you need to devote more time to uncover your customer’s purpose, their DNA, their values and what truly matters to them. This helps you find an intersection with your purpose and values.
This approach is different and requires critical thought and analysis. It’s a growth mindset rather than a purely results-driven approach. This is about considering the long-term relationship with your stakeholders, not just your customer.
Related: 4 Ways to Make Value Creation Core to Your Business
6. Mental and physical availability
Are your customers thinking of your brand, and can they access it when they’re thinking of it? When your brand is strong in both of these domains, more people can easily buy your products.
To level up on both mental and physical availability, brands need to understand whether their customer is an optimizer or satisfier. Both types of consumer preferencing will result in different requirements, but when you nail it, you will scale!
As you build your business, keep asking yourself these three compelling questions:
- How can we adjust to a changing world?
- How can we stay relevant and grow while being true to our purpose and values?
- What must we do to become more adaptable?
Success comes to those who do what unsuccessful people refuse to do. Having a growth mindset will make you referable and help your business thrive, no matter what headlines are in store for you.
Live with purpose.
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