Why Is This Economy Like The Weather?
(c) by Sheila Oranch,
Weather is a good analogy to the economy. One day it’s frigid and harsh, the next it’s sunny and warm. The only thing certain about the weather is that it will change. Are the weather forecasts always right? NO. You will look out the window, check the thermometer and dress accordingly. My motto is, “Plan for the worst, hope for the best and make the most of what you get.”
So, let’s use this analogy to create our own self-fulfilling prophesy of prosperity. I’m not saying to ignore the “experts.” I’m saying listen to their economic weather opinions and dress in layers.
If you are retired, on a fixed income, or laid off for the season, you may just need to hunker down and conserve your energy (personally and fuel-wise). So what’s new? We’ve done this before…some of us many times. Back in the 1990’s everything that could have happened economically did to someone in our family. Lost jobs, broken relationships, car accidents with under-insured drivers, adult children moving back in, you name it. But we survived and got back on our feet, and made progress over the next decade. We learned from experience.
If you are a business owner or self-employed, you have the added stress of being where the buck stops…here! It can feel like the weight of the world just jumped on your shoulders like a great, drooling monkey. Please don’t panic. In every disaster there is opportunity. Take a deep breath, get centered and start brainstorming with trusted advisors and mentors. Find new gateways to prosperity that were invisible when you were in your comfort zone, just getting by from day to day. Think of it this way…it’s a lot easier to turn the wheel of a car in motion. So start and then adjust your steering as you learn more. Here are some steps to get you going.
Start with your basic SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). But don’t just make a list – take time to answer questions like these:
- What were your successes last year? Which customers were best sellers and which were most profitable? Why?
- What about the last ideal customer you lost? What happened? Why did they choose someone else?
- What are some things that would never happen in your industry? Assuming that they have happened, what opportunities do they create? There is always opportunity in chaos.
- What legal or government changes create threats or opportunities? Are you up to date with requirements in your industry or profession? Do you qualify for new incentives?
Draw a picture of what you want. Putting crayons to paper gets your brain working differently. You don’t have to be an artist; just take the time to represent yourself, your customers, their challenges, and your key relationships. If you know mind mapping, you are ahead of the game. See what new perspectives you get from the drawing process. Pretend you are sketching ideas for a new deck or office. This step is important. How does the universe know what to give you if you don’t know what you want? Make your picture as detailed as possible.
Create a Prosperity Plan. This is the “dressing for the weather” part of the process. You’ve collected advice and information, slept on it, and created a picture of how you want things to be. Now you need to build your prosperous future within a new environment. What are your goals and benchmarks? What strengths and abilities will you use to achieve your vision? What values and beliefs will you incorporate to succeed? A
Take Action. Whether your first task is to get training for new skills, update your knowledge of your business environment, or start working on your plan, something wonderful happens when you take action. You unleash your subconscious energy and feel empowered by the sense that you are taking control of one little part of the world. Maybe you cannot fix “the economy,” but you are becoming part of the solution rather than just being a victim or a statistic.
Are we experiencing an economic storm? Maybe we are, but how we weather it makes all the difference. So sing in the rain, make snow angels, do something new, and enjoy the ride.
If you would like to gather for brainstorming about business ideas, attend a Chamber of Commerce networking event or learn more about creating a Prosperity Plan, contact us at info@coppertoppe.com or 603-744-5036. We are happy to share ideas and connect people with helpful resources. We say, “Make it a great day!”
Sheila and Bill have been independent business owners since 1998 and have operated
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