TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?
Some of my clients are in decision-limbo; they can’t make decisions; they can’t make a plan; they can barely function to keep their business alive. A few are having trouble taking small steps…
If you are a business owner, your shoulders may not seem broad enough, or strong enough. How many people are depending on you? How many employees will keep their families fed if you make the right decision? What will happen to them if you close your doors?
If you find yourself dreading another day, putting on a fake smile, growling at everyone around you, please reach out for help! Give yourself permission to find a supporter, a cheerleader, a mentor; find someone who can help you strategize through these difficult decisions.
I’ve been helping these clients look to their numbers for clarity…YES…you just read that correctly. We can turn to our financial reports for help. Numbers are black and white; we can see where we’re doing well…we can see where our business is struggling and needs some attention. Do you need more customers? Do you need to sell more products and services? Are you having trouble delivering to the customers you have because your employees don’t want to come back to work? Do you need to shave overhead costs?
Some businesses may be gearing up to bring employees back to business; others may be analyzing whether they can convert to work from home (WFH) situations. Can you move all business functions to a WFH arena? Which ones? How do you analyze that? What does that look like logistically? What does that look like financially? Get some help walking through your plans.
AND, IF you can make only one decision today, make sure that it’s to love your spouse, love your family and love your employees.
IF you can make two decisions today, then read your P&L report–even if it’s awful, read it with clarity. Format it to compare each month separately over the last five months. Format it to compare this year to last year. Regardless, read it.
Then use it to make your decisions; use the information you gain to hone and fine-tune your business. Take one tiny step to move forward today! Whatever you decide, do not do it in a vacuum…ask for help, look for support, reach out to advisors. Find someone to share with, today!
