{"id":1454,"date":"2018-10-24T15:52:34","date_gmt":"2018-10-24T19:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thegrowthcoach.com\/south-orange-county\/dont-let-your-business-scare-you"},"modified":"2022-07-13T18:36:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-13T22:36:11","slug":"dont-let-your-business-scare-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thegrowthcoach.com\/south-orange-county\/dont-let-your-business-scare-you","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Let Your Business Scare You"},"content":{"rendered":"
Have you ever gone into a haunted house and then spent the whole time with your eyes half-covered, pretending you weren\u2019t seeing everything around you? You paid money to be there, you waited in line, you knew there would be frights, and yet you walked through the whole place half-blind, just looking for the exit.<\/p>\n
That might be one way to get through a haunted house, but it\u2019s no way to walk through your business.<\/p>\n
Ignoring the problems in your business won\u2019t get you to the exit \u2013 unless that exit means freshening up your resume \u2013 but it will let those problems snowball into bigger and more challenging issues. If you want to improve your business (and your life), you have to address those problems head on.<\/p>\n
Open Your Eyes:<\/strong> The first rule of enjoying a haunted house is to open your eyes. Whether or not you like what you see and no matter how scary it might be, if you have your eyes closed, you can\u2019t see what\u2019s happening around you. While you might not be avoiding ghosts and witches in your life as a business owner, things like broken systems, managers who need training or customer service issues can be just as frightening. Open your eyes, look into every corner and take stock of the current status of your business so you can address issues create a plan for improvement.<\/p>\n Walk Forward:<\/strong> Once your eyes are open, if things are pretty scary, it\u2019s easy to feel overwhelmed by what you are seeing. Don\u2019t freeze! If you stand still, you\u2019ll be stuck in that haunted house forever. Once you\u2019ve had a chance to truly examine the ins and outs of your business \u2013 and perhaps pull down a few cobwebs \u2013 it\u2019s time to figure out how to move forward. Whether your work with a business coach<\/a>, consult with a mentor or sit down with your management team, it\u2019s time to put on your CEO hat and start planning strategically. What can be done immediately to improve your business, inside and out? What do you need to look at six months out? Where do you want to be next year? How about in five years? What do you need to do to get there? Ask yourself these questions and start taking steps, even if they are small.<\/p>\n Go Back Next Year:<\/strong> Once you\u2019ve made your way out of that haunted house, take a deep breath of the cool October air, smile and think back about what you just experienced, no matter how scary. Take time to celebrate your success and think about what you might do differently next time. Then \u2013 and this is important \u2013 mark your calendar to go back to that haunted house next year. Sure, you\u2019ve already been through it once, but the attractions change every year and, although you\u2019ll be better prepared, it\u2019s important to take that deep look at your business every once and a while so you can plan strategically and continuously improve.<\/p>\n