How Do You Thrive In An Uncertain Economy?

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We live in uncertain times.  Life is like a roller coaster, especially if you follow the stock market.  There seem to be seasons of success followed by seasons of drought.  Sometimes they move quickly, and sometimes they last for years.  So, how do you keep your sanity in that environment of uncertainty?

  • Be open to change.  If you are in a slump, evaluate what you are doing and see what you need to do to adapt to your current situation.  Keep doing what you are doing and you will likely continue in the slump.  Nothing changes till you change.
  • Get creative.  Look for different ways to market yourself and your business.  If you are not using social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter in particular) you are missing the boat.  Having a listing on them is not enough.  There are incredible tools that I recently learned to use and it makes all the difference in the world.  Get social! That is FREE marketing.
  • Continue to plant.  It is a funny thing that when times get tough, people cut their marketing budget.  That is self-defeating.  You may have to reduce your budget, but if you do, find creative ways to market yourself.  Volunteer your services somewhere.  That has an amazing effect on your own attitude, and business can come from the relationships that develop. There are thousands of inexpensive ways to market your products and services, but the best way is word of mouth. Ask for referrals from everyone.  If you don’t ask, you probably won’t get them.
  • Stay positive.  It is very easy to get down when you are in a slump.  Read positive books.  Surround yourself with positive people.  Re-train your brain to focus on the positive.  Take every thought captive. Even the words you speak have great power.  Start speaking positive things.  It may sound hokey, but it works!  If you are one of the people saying to yourself, “That will never work,” you are one of the people that needs brain surgery.  Cut out the negative self-talk.  Only you can control that.  Take control.
  • Get help.  Too many people isolate themselves when they are in a slump. That is a big mistake.  Surround yourself with people who can speak life into you.  Join a good Chamber of Commerce, find a good Church. Plug in and engage.  You will find that the more you engage, the more energized and focused you will become.
  • Don’t give up.  Remember that storms come and go.  Don’t concentrate on how to endure the storm, figure out how to dance in the rain.

Here is to seeing you dance!

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

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