On your journey through entrepreneurship, the path is rarely straight. It twists and turns, presenting unexpected challenges and opportunities along the way that test an entrepreneurs resolve and ability to pivot when necessary.
Almost daily, we’re faced with not only navigating bumpy roads but embracing the idea that sometimes, the best decision we can make for our business—and for ourselves—is to change our minds.
The ability to pivot, to reassess our strategies and goals in light of new information, experiences, and insights, is not a weakness. It’s our greatest strength and prerogative.
We celebrate and support your right to change your mind and embrace the shifts that are often the catalysts for breakthrough success and personal fulfillment.
The Journey of Entrepreneurship: Your Forever Classroom
When you decide to venture out on your own in business, you’re volunteering for a lifetime of learning.
Each decision you make, every interaction you have and all outcomes – good or bad – serves as a lesson. These lessons, if taken seriously and applied to your business, will become an ever-expanding knowledge base and growing skill set.
But at the heart of all of it lies a fundamental truth: entrepreneurship is about evolution.
It requires a willingness to grow, adapt, and sometimes, to let go of long held beliefs in favor of new directions.
This is not a sign of indecisiveness or a lack of ability, it’s a testament to your commitment to an ultimate goal—building a successful, sustainable business.
The very experience of trying, failing, learning, adjusting and trying again is the curriculum of entrepreneurship.
When you are willing to dive in, be a life-long learner and remain flexible and adaptive, that’s where success lives.
The Power Of The Pivot In Entrepreneurship
As entrepreneurs, we have all been in a position where an idea, product, service or launch didn’t go well.
In fact, it flopped.
And when you have a flop on something that you have sole responsibility for, that can sting a bit more than it would if you were working a “traditional” job.
The time, energy, thought and work we put into our businesses is personal and there is always a lot of self-imposed expectation wrapped up in it.
So when something doesn’t go as planned we are faced with a decision:
Do we let the business misses define our identity, abilities and worth?
Or do we make a conscious effort to learn, re-work and if necessary, pivot all together?
A powerful moment of clarity for a client of ours…
After weeks of research, creation and prep one of our clients launched a comprehensive workbook that taught her audience how to create an important piece of marketing collateral.
She had put a lot of expectation on the launch of this product and felt confident that it would do well and become a reliable source of passive income for her business.
Unfortunately, the launch did not go as well as she’d hoped and she didn’t meet her sales goal.
We debriefed with her a few days after her less-than-stellar launch and looked not just at the contents of the workbook and the structure of her launch, but at her motivations, feelings and fears around the current state of her business.
After much honest conversation she came to the realization that the direction her business was going in, the plans she had and the content she was producing wasn’t actually aligned with her true values and beliefs.
Like so many of us do in business, she had created a framework based on what others in her industry were doing and not on what she was most passionate about.
This led to a rather big pivot in her business and an even bigger lesson learned…
In business, especially entrepreneurship, we reserve the right to change our minds.
Are You Ready For A Business Pivot?
It can be tough, when you get to a proverbial crossroads in your business, to know whether to stay the course or head toward a pivot.
If you find yourself there, take some time and journal through these three questions:
1. Are your current strategies meeting your immediate and long term goals?
Spend some time and think about your current business strategies – sales, marketing, growth, etc. Are they effectively moving you closer to your long-term goals? Or is something not working the way you’d like it to?
2. Are your passions, vision & beliefs still aligned with your business direction?
Time to get honest and decide if the path your business is on still ignites the passion and drive you initially had. Think about whether you feel motivated, energized and lit up by your work or if it is feelin misaligned, unbalanced and in need of a change.
3. Are current market trends and customer feedback suggesting a change?
Think about the feedback you’ve been receiving from your customers and the shifts in market trends within your industry. Are there themes or trends that suggest a different approach might be more successful or relevant for your business?
Celebrating Your Ability To Pivot
No matter where you currently are in business, where you want to go or how you plan to get there, know that your ability to learn as you go and pivot when necessary will directly affect your success.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is have the hard and honest conversations that lead to change.
And that change, the pivots you make to better align your business with your own values, beliefs and goals, is your right as an entrepreneur.
Embrace the right to pivot as a badge of honor, a declaration of your commitment to not just surviving, but thriving in the world of business.
The decision to change direction is a profound exercise in courage, insight, and resilience. So, as you stand at the crossroads, consider not just the immediate impact of your choices, but the legacy you’re building with every step you take.
Remember, in the world of entrepreneurship, the only constant is change, and your willingness to adapt is your greatest asset. Let your journey be guided by learning, passion, and the unflappable belief that the best is yet to come.
At Confluence Business Solutions, we are here to help and support you as you navigate the winding road of entrepreneurship.
Reach out to us and let’s chat about how we can best support your small business!
