This post was most recently updated on July 30th, 2016
You are in business, and you want it to grow. You may have a grandiose plan in your mind and you may have even started to grow your business. But my question to you is… just how are you growing your online business?
Adapting to change can be difficult in our lives, but there is one thing for sure, change is inevitable.
But change is also the foundation of growth.
When you make the decision to grow your online business, you need to be prepared to adapt to these changes.
It Starts With A Decision
Before you make up your mind about exactly how to take your business to the next level, weigh your decision by looking at the competition.
Do all the research you can possibly do to see what others are doing in similar businesses.
How are they growing?What are their strategies for moving to the next level?How are they putting them into action?
Yes, it will take some of your time, but it sure is worth it in the end.
Consider Your Time
Sure, you want to move ahead and are all ready to do so. But the one thing you need to do is plan your time.
Say you created a product and it sells like crazy. Did you consider the time it takes for customer service? When you roll out a product, technology doesn’t always jive. so you must be ready to deal with those challenges.
Did you offer something like a free phone consultation?
Time is something you need to figure out before you roll out with that product of yours.
These are just some of the ways you need to be ready and able to adjust your business plans on the fly.
Things change all the time, new challenges arise daily, and you need to be able to adapt accordingly.
Be Ready To Grow With It
As your business grows, you need to be ready to grow with it.
This means that you need to be learning each and every day. From the latest in technology, to knowing how to keep the engagement process going with new followers and clients.
You will have to adapt by acquiring new sets of skills. Are you willing to do that?
Your customers will be asking you lots of questions. Are you ready to answer them?
When it all seems so overwhelming, and you just don’t know if you’re up for the challenge, remember this:
Don’t Resist… Just Grow With It
Roll’n With “The Big Boys”
Now that your business is growing, you will be making a shift and hanging out with a new crowd. You need to be ready for that.
I call your new crowd “the big boys”… you know… the people (both the guys and the gals, of course) who are on top of the leader boards, the rising stars in their companies. They are creators of those great online products, and they are the ones making the biggest splash in the world of doing business on the internet.
Yes, you need to adapt to this new, higher level of your business.
You need the confidence within yourself to be able to hang out with them. They may be different people than your blogging friends (if you are a blogger), or your Facebook pals (if you’re a social media-ite).
You may have to adapt by going to live conferences, or getting on the phone with people you used to idolize.
Maybe you’ve taken over the top position from your up-line who bought you into the MLM or direct sales company.
You might find yourself coaching big time product creators, or website operators that you used to go to for advice.
These are “the big boys” and now you’re one of the, hanging out in their circles. Certainly, it can be a bit intimidating because you are the new kid on the block.
It will feel a bit like being the new kid in a strange school.
Sure it’s uncomfortable.
That’s how growth is.
You can’t run from it, and you can’t hide.
It’s time to adapt to your new crowd, your new position, your new level of success.
And let me tell you this: Keep in mind that people are people and at the end of the day, even “the big boys.”
They’re no different than you or me. They’ve just attained success at a level you may just be arriving at.
The key to adaptation is honesty and authenticity.
Appreciate where you are at, and be proud of how you are growing.
Don’t Resist… Just Grow With It
Let “the big boys” know you’re new on the scene, haven’t been here before, and are excited to be working alongside them.
Don’t worry about “acceptance.”
You are adapting to a different world of people.
It’s not about acceptance, it’s about adaptation.
Your Reputation
Whatever you do as your business grows, remember that your reputation will precede you. If you stick to the rules and stay positive you will be OK.
“But what if my product bombs?” you may ask!
“What if I drop off of the leaderboard?”
“What if I can’t keep my downlines motivated?”
“What if my blog drops off the first page of Google?”
You can pretty much assume that things will go wrong.
Not just once in a while, but pretty much every day. That’s what running an online business is like.
There’s an endless parade of challenges.
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You will have to adapt to failure, adapt to sudden changes, adapt to business models and web platforms you depended on going awry, changing their rules or just shutting down.
Your challenge is not to prevent shifts or even failures, but to adapt to them.
Just maintain your identity and your personal brand.
When you screw up (and you will), own up to it.
Tell people you screwed up and move on. Just get back in the game.
As long as you are honest, sincere and own up to your failures and shortcomings, people will respect you. Not only that, they’ll identify with you. After all, they’re not perfect either.
I goofed!
I just have to do this again!
That’s all it will take. But you will have to adapt to your missteps with honesty and sincerity. And, of course, simply never give up.
Be Flexible
I learned this one the hard way.
I thought everything was in it’s place and I was ready to roll.
Instead of putting my info product on the market, I found out It would be much better to create a launch for it.
I didn’t want to change direction.
I banged my head against the wall. I felt the feeling of doom and gloom. But that lasted for a day.
I knew I had to be flexible. I had to adapt to changes along my way, once again.
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I chose to listen to people that had traveled this route before me.
And in the end, I was certainly glad I did.
You see, we can set our goals, but there will be bumps, twists and turns in the road.
Always keep this in mind because being flexible will get you through it.
The Bad With The Good
Of course, you’ll often find that you just have to take the bad with the good.
Not all changes are bad.
Many are good, and some are great opportunities to move forward.
But you’ll still need to adapt, even to good things.
I’ve recently decided to make adaptations in my business.
While my blog has been going great, and my products and online services have kept me on a steady course of “full steam ahead,” I have felt the need to include some of my info product crowd into my blogging arena.
So, I’ve adapted to this new twist in my business by starting a new blog.
It’s called “Donna Merrill Buzz,” and I’m pretty excited about it.
The tagline on my new blog is “Give Me 15 Minutes, I’ll Give You The World.”
That’s because the format will be to conduct 15-minute video interviews with prominent internet marketing influencers, and showcase them on the “Buzz” blog.
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I can’t really tell you exactly how it will all play out because I don’t have a perfectly clear sense of direction on my new undertaking.
I can promise you this, though.
There will be twists and turns, learning curves and challenges.
And I can also promise you that whatever comes my way, I will adapt to it.
So what are your blogging and online business challenges these days?
Do challenges get you down at times?
How do you adapt to the steady flow of changes?
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