Smash “the box” once and for all

For most business owners, one of the following statements is true:

1. You run your business pretty much like your competitors.
2. You run your business the same way you did when you first started.

Humans are creatures of habit, and our habits are comfortable. At some intellectual level, all of us are aware of some things we could to to improve our businesses… we may even try something new once in a while. The sad thing is that even if that new thing works, we usually wind up back in our old, comfortable ways.

The horribly overused cliche, “thinking outside the box”, isn’t about doing anything wild and crazy — it’s really about thinking outside of our own box — the overcoming limitations we put on ourselves.

In the past, you may have gotten away with doing things the same way for years at a time. But if your business is part of the majority that’s seen a drop in revenue over the last year, it’s obvious that you should consider some new strategies.

I am by no means suggesting that you thow out your processes and procedures that served you well in the past. Rather, we want to look at ways to build on what worked and create a new, higher baseline.