Change is probably the only constant we face in life… and in business. We can and should expect change. The life of the entrepreneur is one that is constantly evolving. So if you fear change, owning a small business may not be for you.
But even those of us who don’t mind some change from time to time can become exhausted by it. It really does come at us as a constant barrage!
- Changing customers needs
- Changing marketing tactics
- Changing ideas about business and the web
- Changing opportunities
We entrepreneurs are expected to keep up with it all.
When I stumbled across a blog at Inc.com on this exact topic, I was interested to read for ideas that might help me (and you) cope with ever-changing change.
So, I confess that I was a little skeptical when I read the first couple paragraphs. They seemed a little too introspective to be the beginning of a business article but, towards the end, she stepped up and gave some good advice for dealing with change.
Read the article here.
Jessica Routier, IAC-EZ
Okay, a title like that doesn’t have the same ring to it that Prince’s song has, but I just read an interesting article that suggested we could be living in 1986 all over again.
Yes, it’s like we got into Marty McFly’s DeLorean and got the speed up to 88 miles an hour.
Forbes reported in a recent article that the so-called “IPO Class of 1986″ is a significant one: Microsoft, Oracle, Sun Microsystems, and Adobe all went public in 1986. These continue to be big players in the markets they serve. But here’s where it gets more interesting: There was an economic dip in 1982 and 1983 (actually, I just did a bit of research offline and observed that it started in 1981). Those lean years got better but continued to be “skinny” for a couple of years after (and even dipped again slightly in 1986). And then, in 1986, the above-mentioned headlining companies went public.
Forbes is saying that conditions are right for a similar situation today. We’ve been through a lean year (and by “lean” I mean supermodel skinny!) but a number of ground-breaking companies look like they might be leaping out of the IPO gate next year. Once again: A brief recession followed by dynamic companies that grow in spite of less-than-stellar economic conditions.
You can read the article here.
And, you can see which companies should be going public in the near future here.
What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re going to bring your company public in the next couple of months, you’ve picked a potentially good time.
And for the rest of us: I think it’s an inspiring story. The Class of 1986 represent today’s monolithic multi-billion-dollar companies and they IPO’d and grew against the odds on the tail end of a tough economic time.
If they can do it… perhaps the rest of us can, too.
Jessica Routier, IAC-EZ
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I’m always interested in running my business slightly better than I did yesterday… and I know you are too. So, from time to time, I read stuff about productivity so that (in theory) I can get more done, spend more revenue-generating time or less time at work, and enjoy a richer life.
Recently, I came across a blog called “Dumb Little Man.” I love that kind of self-deprecating wit. This blog is full of great ideas on productivity and saving money; always an entertaining read.
In a recent post, they gave 7 tips to improve productivity. These are good pieces of advice and even though they aren’t specifically about bookkeeping, they are about running a better business.
You can read the full article here but I’ll summarize the seven key points here, along with some of my own thoughts:
- Write down a goal and give it a deadline. I also like their suggestion of picturing your goal vividly to help you achieve it.
- Create a simple plan for getting stuff done. This was covered a little simplistically, but it’s a generally sound idea. I’ve recently upgraded a plan for my business and I should think about doing it in other areas of my life, too.
- Schedule critical tasks daily. This is the hardest for me to do. All tasks seem critical (although I realize at this moment that they’re not).
- Eat the ugly frog first. The point is to do the toughest thing first… although I’m not sure why they call it an ugly frog. Personally, I prefer to do one or two small jobs first before the “ugly frog” just to help me feel like I’ve done some successful work before pushing through reluctance to get to the harder challenge.
- Focus on the task at hand. I think this is the hardest for entrepreneurs who are often trying to do everything all the time. You can’t control when customers call you or when there is a technological meltdown. You just do your best to deal with it when it happens.
- Just say no. Okay, I thought #3 was the hardest thing but maybe this is the hardest thing for me. I confess that this is a big challenge for me.
- Track and report your progress. This is an area that lots of entrepreneurs skip, simply because it seems like extra work. However, it is a great way to revisit how you did and make the necessary changes for the future. You only learn from the past when you review it.
Jessica Routier, IAC-EZ
