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Put a spring back in the step of your business

A change of season always brings about a sense of renewed purpose. Aside from the obvious changes in weather, somehow seasonal change also brings about the need for refreshed energy and drive. This is especially true in spring where everything awakens from hibernation and starts anew with greater vigour, which is why this is the ideal time to make a business bloom again. Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co, Jan de Beer, shares some tips on how a business owner can renew their thinking to reinvigorate their business and put back that ‘spring in its step’. 

It’s no secret that as the year goes by, one often loses the drive to finish the year off with the same purpose as when it started. With new year’s resolutions a thing of the past and 2014 well on its way there as well, many business owners are stuck in the slump of the final stretch of the year, which tends to create a ‘go-slow’ effect, among the owner and his/her supporting teams.

Unfortunately, slowing down in business is never a viable option as progress will stagnate once the drive to secure it does. Winter is over and it’s time to reawaken that tenacity to succeed. 

The Fish & Chip Co shares some tips to shake off the winter business blues:

Keep track of your successes
The first step in reinvigorating your success starts with the reminder of what you have achieved thus far. Take some time to really look at the year that has passed and identify the highlights that have urged you on. Write down your successes, how they made you feel and why they are important to your business. A ‘tangible’ track record of past successes will act as a reassuring guide to inspire you to continue to succeed.

Stop procrastinating
Nothing puts a damper on progress more than procrastination. Delaying, putting things off, slacking, hiding from work, facing items only when it’s no longer avoidable and then repeating this loop all over again – that is the vicious cycle that is procrastination. It’s a bad habit that simply prevents us from achieving greater results in life. Identify the areas in your business that cause you to procrastinate and address these by simply getting them done. Whether it means you need to break your tasks up better, get better support from others or relook at your goals – just start taking action and get it done.

Eliminate the distractions
Whether it be checking emails, taking calls, attending meetings, and yes, browsing social media sites, we do get easily distracted from doing the things that count. According to research, something as simple as checking mails could result in 28% of your time at work wasted. Set your mind straight by prioritising better. Only check mails or social media posts at certain times throughout the day and set up meetings so that all fall on a specific day.

Take the time to make the most of your time
Stop blaming time for your lack of progress. When you say ‘I haven’t had the time’ or ‘I have no time’, it actually means you don’t find the activity important enough to action as urgently as it needs to be. Instead of trying to add more hours to your day (which will only enhance resentment and negativity towards work) try completing every task – no matter how big or small – with desire and urgency. By actually making an effort to make the most of your time, you will be rewarded with activities that will bear fruit.

At the end of the day, nothing can change without some form of action being taken. Just like a new flower won’t grow unless it is watered, so a business can’t progress unless action is taken to propel it forward.

Perhaps it is time for you to do some spring cleaning and relook at your growth rate?