I’d like to introduce you to an unexpected visitor to one of my garden beds.
Say hello to what I am calling, “Mr. Potato The Interloper”. It’s really not his fault, it’s mine. Apparently, I planted this guy last summer and forgot about it. In fact, I don’t even remember it growing last summer, but that’s a mystery for another day.
I’ve been mapping out where all my transplants and direct sow seeds will go. Looking up what I can and can’t plant close together. But this lil’ guy messed up my carefully laid out grid for this year’s square foot garden.
This small green plant has made me curious for some time now. I’ve been watching the green leaves grow, wondering what it was and if I should leave it or pull it. As I was adding in plants around it, suddenly I’m getting small red potatoes coming out of the dirt!
I was shocked at first and then had to make a quick decision. The problem was that it was located right in the middle of plans for where my green beans and acorn squash were supposed to go.
Do I leave it and shift my plan? Or pull it out and stick to the plan I had mapped out?
I reviewed my layout and realized I had room to shift and adjust. So, I kept it since it wouldn’t change my plan too much.
How could I not? It was already producing mini potatoes!
And me, being business coach me, I thought about how we make business decisions when curveballs come our way.
What is your Business Decision Making Process?
We all get thrown curve balls. We all get the client that comes out of the blue and needs our help immediately. Websites go down and need to be restored. We have amazing opportunities presented that we just can’t say no to. We all get sick or have family emergencies we need to take care of.
- Is your business ready to adjust and pivot when necessary? (And note, this is “when” it happens, not “if”.)
- Are you building and creating a business that can handle the unexpected?
- Do you have a decision-making process in place to filter your ideas, opportunities, and emergencies through?
- Is your business simple enough that you can pivot and adjust quickly?
How well do you know you and your business?
^^ That may sound like an odd thing to ask, but…
- Do you know how you make important decisions in your business?
- Are you clear about how you best operate in your business and serve your clients?
- Do you know your business plan and goals well enough that you know what you can and can’t change?
As a small online business owner, you have the amazing opportunity to build a business that fits you, grows with you, and can pivot when needed. Bigger companies can’t do that.
It has taken me longer than I would like to admit, to get to know me, my decision-making process, and how those decisions will impact my business plan, my goals, and how I serve my clients. It felt easier to run a business on the fly and react when needed instead of putting on a CEO hat and think strategically and proactively about my business.
Create A Business That Can Adjust and Pivot
- Shore Up Your Foundation. Is your business prepared for emergencies? Like when you are sick or a family emergency arises? My friend Shelby has a great checklist you should check out called, “Stormproofing Your Business”. I highly recommend it.
- Get clear on who you are as a business owner. It’s important to know how you best serve your clients, what types of products and services are the best fit for you and your personality. It’s a great way to deal with Bright Shiny Object ideas and distractions when they appear.
- Document your decision-making process. Knowing how you make decisions for your business will help you make them faster and easier. It will help you think strategically and can eliminate some of that overthinking or rash decisions you regret later.
- Have your business plan and list of goals handy. This is another filter you can run ideas and decisions through and help you adjust and pivot when curveballs come your way. Keep the priority the priority.
This is important work, but it is the type of work that will happen only when you take the time to think about it, document it, and then use it when needed.
It’s work that won’t happen overnight and will need to be reviewed and updated often as you and your business grow.
Do you have a business you can shift and adjust when Mr. Potato the Interloper comes to visit you?
Marta Goertzen is an entrepreneur, writer, WordPress Website developer, and nature photographer. She daily explores the trails and beaches of the South Central Oregon Coast with her dogs Oliver & Mochi. You can follow along on their adventures on Instagram. Marta also fully believes that change starts with gratitude and that gratitude can change everything. Find out how with the “Grateful Friday 7-Days of Gratitude Starter Kit”