Friday, September 23, 2011
How to Thrive in a Tough Economy
10:33 PM | 
Posted by
Ockert J Möller Personal/Spirital Development |
Yes, You Can Learn to Surf the Economic Wave When Everyone Else Is Getting Drowned
When the global financial crisis started to hit in mid-2007, everyone figured we’d just have to ride it out. The economy tends to move in cycles, after all.
But here we are in 2011, and you might have noticed that for many, times are still very tight.
Looking around, we have to recognize that we’re not just in another cycle — we’re in what some people call a “reset,” a basic shift in how money moves around.
That means that unless you have a trust fund, you’re going to need to take a hard look at how you make a living.
If you work for a company, there may be some big shifts behind the scenes that you can’t see yet.
If you run a business, your customers (or your customers’ customers) may be facing a lot of uncertainty — and it’s hard to sell in times of uncertainty.
The last five years have been a massive wave that’s swept over the world. That wave can cause destruction and misery … or you can learn to surf it. That’s what I want to talk about today.
Tough times create surprising opportunities
When times are tough, there are lots of people who need help.
And as it turns out, helping people is one of the strongest foundations you can build any business on.
That’s just as true for tiny part-time solo businesses as it is for giant Fortune 500 conglomerates. The trick is to find the right problems to solve, and then let the world know you’re here to solve them.
(We’re going to talk later in the series about ways you can identify the types of customer problems that you can build a great business on.)
Normal people are afraid of running a business right now
Fortunately, you’re not normal. (Neither am I.)
The normal human brain sees all of this uncertainty and risk, and thinks, Danger! Run away!
But if you can manage that fear, you start to notice some things.
The fact is, small businesses (including very tiny businesses) are going gangbusters right now. According to Inc. magazine, privately held startups (in every industry, not just tech) are where most of the new jobs are coming from … even while so many giant companies are laying people off in record numbers.
Yes, you can learn to ride the wave (if you’re strategic)
Learning to ride the wave instead of getting creamed isn’t just a matter of “feel the fear and do it anyway.”
You also have to be able to look at the situation clearly, and see where the points of opportunity are.
You don’t have to be some kind of Steve Jobs or Richard Branson, an entrepreneurial and marketing genius.
And you don’t have to risk losing it all. In fact, it’s a myth that the great entrepreneurs are huge risk-takers. In reality, they’re just the ones who see the hidden opportunities where everyone else just sees crisis and panic.
The foundation is always the same: Provide value
Every successful business is built on the same foundation — providing value in a way that resonates with their customers.
The luxury goods house Hermès provides value in the eyes of its customers when it sells a $96,000 crocodile handbag.
Apple provides value in the eyes of its customers with impeccable design and usability in everything they create, even though they’re virtually never the cheapest option.
(We’re going to talk more specifically about Apple in a later article as well, so stay tuned.)
Mcdonalds provides value in the eyes of its customers by delivering a break in a busy day, a consistent product, and the “third place” between home and work that was the driving vision for its CEO.
You may very well think people are foolish to buy from one (or all) of these companies. You may not see the value.
But you and I don’t get to decide what’s valuable. Customers do.
Good businesses know what their customers value today.
Great businesses know how they can deliver that value in an irreplaceable way. Their customers would never consider switching brands — because only their favorite can deliver the value they crave in the way they crave it.
What I want you to do this week
Think about what your customers value.
(If you don’t have any customers today, you can still do this exercise — just think about the kind of customer you want to work with.)
What does that person care about today? What’s difficult or painful? What’s so stressful they can’t sleep at night? What feels overwhelming, in this time when so many are overwhelmed? What’s changed for them in the past five years? In the past year?
Next week we’ll talk about how to take this essential of business — the customer who seeks an experience of value — and use it to discover a foundation we can build a business on.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
If you'd like to know more about my system for attracting more high-end clients, please join us for one of our workshops where I'll share details of this system. It's on Tuesday in PTA North or Wednesday in PTA East Click here and go to Events for more detail on specific workshops
http://ockertmoller.com//
Talk to you again soon
When the global financial crisis started to hit in mid-2007, everyone figured we’d just have to ride it out. The economy tends to move in cycles, after all.
But here we are in 2011, and you might have noticed that for many, times are still very tight.
Looking around, we have to recognize that we’re not just in another cycle — we’re in what some people call a “reset,” a basic shift in how money moves around.
That means that unless you have a trust fund, you’re going to need to take a hard look at how you make a living.
If you work for a company, there may be some big shifts behind the scenes that you can’t see yet.
If you run a business, your customers (or your customers’ customers) may be facing a lot of uncertainty — and it’s hard to sell in times of uncertainty.
The last five years have been a massive wave that’s swept over the world. That wave can cause destruction and misery … or you can learn to surf it. That’s what I want to talk about today.
Tough times create surprising opportunities
When times are tough, there are lots of people who need help.
And as it turns out, helping people is one of the strongest foundations you can build any business on.
That’s just as true for tiny part-time solo businesses as it is for giant Fortune 500 conglomerates. The trick is to find the right problems to solve, and then let the world know you’re here to solve them.
(We’re going to talk later in the series about ways you can identify the types of customer problems that you can build a great business on.)
Normal people are afraid of running a business right now
Fortunately, you’re not normal. (Neither am I.)
The normal human brain sees all of this uncertainty and risk, and thinks, Danger! Run away!
But if you can manage that fear, you start to notice some things.
The fact is, small businesses (including very tiny businesses) are going gangbusters right now. According to Inc. magazine, privately held startups (in every industry, not just tech) are where most of the new jobs are coming from … even while so many giant companies are laying people off in record numbers.
Yes, you can learn to ride the wave (if you’re strategic)
Learning to ride the wave instead of getting creamed isn’t just a matter of “feel the fear and do it anyway.”
You also have to be able to look at the situation clearly, and see where the points of opportunity are.
You don’t have to be some kind of Steve Jobs or Richard Branson, an entrepreneurial and marketing genius.
And you don’t have to risk losing it all. In fact, it’s a myth that the great entrepreneurs are huge risk-takers. In reality, they’re just the ones who see the hidden opportunities where everyone else just sees crisis and panic.
The foundation is always the same: Provide value
Every successful business is built on the same foundation — providing value in a way that resonates with their customers.
The luxury goods house Hermès provides value in the eyes of its customers when it sells a $96,000 crocodile handbag.
Apple provides value in the eyes of its customers with impeccable design and usability in everything they create, even though they’re virtually never the cheapest option.
(We’re going to talk more specifically about Apple in a later article as well, so stay tuned.)
Mcdonalds provides value in the eyes of its customers by delivering a break in a busy day, a consistent product, and the “third place” between home and work that was the driving vision for its CEO.
You may very well think people are foolish to buy from one (or all) of these companies. You may not see the value.
But you and I don’t get to decide what’s valuable. Customers do.
Good businesses know what their customers value today.
Great businesses know how they can deliver that value in an irreplaceable way. Their customers would never consider switching brands — because only their favorite can deliver the value they crave in the way they crave it.
What I want you to do this week
Think about what your customers value.
(If you don’t have any customers today, you can still do this exercise — just think about the kind of customer you want to work with.)
What does that person care about today? What’s difficult or painful? What’s so stressful they can’t sleep at night? What feels overwhelming, in this time when so many are overwhelmed? What’s changed for them in the past five years? In the past year?
Next week we’ll talk about how to take this essential of business — the customer who seeks an experience of value — and use it to discover a foundation we can build a business on.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
If you'd like to know more about my system for attracting more high-end clients, please join us for one of our workshops where I'll share details of this system. It's on Tuesday in PTA North or Wednesday in PTA East Click here and go to Events for more detail on specific workshops
http://ockertmoller.com//
Talk to you again soon
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Thrive in this Economy
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