Feeling Stuck? ‘Day One’ Your Business
I was having a conversation the other day, and the idea of ‘starting from scratch’ came up. The observation was that we do things at the beginning of our businesses to build our clientele, find suppliers, technology, etc, but that we seldom revisit those things later on until some crisis forces us to. We get on to the day-to-day, doing the work, keeping the ball rolling.
But what if you made it a regular practice, perhaps every quarter, to ‘Day One’ your business?
What if you asked yourself the question, “If I was starting today, how would I do it?”
You have learned a lot since you began, and asking this question can help to clarify where you’re sticking with an old approach simply because it’s the one you know, even though you’d take a different tack if you were starting now.
If you’re finding it hard to imagine how you’d do it differently, imagine you’re advising a good friend on how to start a business just like yours in another city. Or pretend you’re a consultant, hired in to help a business like yours.
You may find that you have some great ideas for how to build your book of clients, things you maybe did in the beginning that you’ve let fall to the wayside, or new things that weren’t possible back when you started because the social media platform didn’t exist, or there was no easily accessible list of potential clients, the technology hadn’t been created, etc.
You might find that if you were starting now, you would hire different people, maybe there’s a role you don’t currently have filled that you would prioritize if you were starting out. Or maybe you’d choose a different location, a different software platform, or a different supplier.
As you can see, this is a simple brainstorming tool that forces a perspective shift, and creates a new way of thinking about your business.
Spend some time coming up with ideas, and thinking with a ‘beginner’s mind’ about what your ‘new’ business would look like.
Then, take some time to see where you can make adjustments in your current operation, to do things the way you would if today were Day One.
Because, as Charles Dederich said, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” It’s true for you, and it’s true for your business, too.
John McKay is a coach in the Seattle area. He helps business owners and leaders to have a better experience of their work, relationships, and life. You can learn more at jpmckay.com
