The small business quest for big picture thinking
Small business can do big things. Sure it takes hard work and smart planning, but it is achievable. It starts with believing that you can make that vision a reality. Here are three things to mull over in the quest for big-picture thinking.
Learn from experience
We all have business heroes that we admire. Make a list of businesses that you would like to be like and take the time to understand what made them big. Learn from their successes and failures. Consider them as a source for a new mentor or adviser if you feel there is an ongoing opportunity for you to benefit from their expertise. If you can take the experience of these businesses and use it to shape your own journey, it will make your goals even more achievable.
Manage your energy reserves
Getting big will not happen overnight. You need to protect yourself from small business burnout by recognising the stamina needed to achieve your long term goals. Most importantly don’t try to do everything now: small steps will get you there much more effectively. Establish some good habits that will protect your energy reserves for the long term. Small business owners are notoriously bad at taking time out. Manage your work/life balance. Remember to give your brain a break, as it is during mental down time you have the chance to out-think the problems and creatively build solutions.
Think big picture and experiment
Time to think creatively is something that few of us build into our calendars. But if you want to move mountains and achieve big-picture growth it’s something you can’t afford to miss out on. Expansive thinking will allow you to think beyond the challenges that stand in the way of your success. By taking time to explore possibility you will create solutions that really allow your business to move towards greatness. And experimentation is a great way to test these ideas out to find out if they work. Experiment with your solutions by testing them: through pilot stores; focus groups, or follow up with customers.