Right before the country started to lock down because of COVID-19, I was on the cusp of officially launching my speaking and consulting business. My book, A Holistic Guide to Online Marketing, was already published and I was all geared up to get started.
Of course, as with most businesses, the pandemic put the kibosh on these plans, at least temporarily.
And although it felt natural to be proactive in transforming Cuppa SEO Web Design, I kind of didn’t think too much about my speaking and consulting until recently — when it became clear to me that I was waiting for the right moment to start speaking and consulting again.
The right moment? When will that be? Two months from now? Two years?
In an instant I realized that waiting until conditions were better was akin to waiting for the right moment to have kids or start one’s own business. The “right” moment may never come — all we have is this moment.
The last thing I wanted was for two years to pass and not have grown as a speaker or consultant — let alone to be in the same place professionally in those areas. So, I’ve decided to just start offering online workshops and consulting services until we’re able to safely be around people again.
Why am I telling you all this?
Because I don’t want you to wait around for the “right” moment, either. It’s the businesses that are being proactive during this time that are excelling — or at least surviving. So if you want your business to survive, here’s what I recommend:
1. Assess your business processes and how they can be improved during the pandemic and beyond. There’s an excellent tool for this called MindNode that can help you see your processes visually, determine sticking points, and then discuss solutions with your team. That’s what we did here at Cuppa SEO Web Design, and it’s been SUPER helpful.
2. Talk with your team to see if there are new ways to do business. You might find some low-hanging fruit to get you through the pandemic — or you might find some things that transform your business in the coming years. It’s worth a shot and you won’t know unless you have the discussion.
A good example of this is Lighthouse Healing Massage Therapy (the owner happens to be my wife). Lighthouse, of course, provides massage therapy, but also does a lot of energy work and shamanic work, too. When the lockdown occurred, my wife Kara and I discussed alternatives to in-person sessions and we came up with virtual versions of her energy and shamanic work.
Did all of her clients book virtual appointments? No. But some did, and she was able to help them in a way that didn’t exist for her just days earlier. This kind of thinking has lead the development to even more online programs that are being finalized. In a few years, I can see her business being completely transformed by what we’ve learned over the past few months.
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