There is nothing worse than being presented with an opportunity of which you cannot take advantage. Not all missed business opportunities are for lack of economic means. If we think back on a few of our missed business opportunities, some of them my be due to poor timing, lack of knowledge or skill, misaligned objectives, dysfunctional systems, or simple fear of change.
The good thing is, opportunities abound more often than we think. Sometimes, we can’t see them because we just aren’t present. We are consumed with what’s ahead of us, instead of what’s around us. Unplanned business opportunities expose our preparedness, or lack thereof.
1. Know Your Purpose
Have a clear and thought out plan of action for your business, so you can identify and analyze risks quickly. If you are unsure about the purpose and objective of your business or where your business is headed, it will be easy for you to head off course and get distracted by things that aren’t relevant to your needs and purpose. When you know what your end game is, you can easily modify plans by connecting opportunities to existing objectives.
2. Establish Fundamental Values and Guiding Principles
A solid business foundation with well-established values and principles will help you attract like-minded clients and collaborative partnerships. “Birds of a feather… “ Make it easy for your “flock” to find you. Speak their language and share the same nest.
3. Learn to Embrace Change
Remain open to new ideas, methods, and models. We can’t control change, but we can control how we respond to change. When we get stuck in inefficiencies and ineffectiveness, we lose our capacity to innovate and adapt. If we remain open to new thoughts and ideas, we can shift quickly and increase our agility.
4. Increase Your Knowledge Base
Being a perpetual student keeps us sharp. We increase our capacity to make informed decisions based on facts, instead of emotion. We can see further. Learning prepares us for new experiences and due diligence. It also embraces diversity and enhances our dialogue with a wider audience.
Before you can be prepared for unplanned business opportunities, you have to be aware that they exist. This requires you to be in the moment; always. Make a conscious effort to be aware of what is going on in and around you and your business. Prepare yourself for windows of favorable conditions and chance circumstances with a few mindful activities and exercises.
A. Michelle Blakeley
Micro Business Therapist™, A.Michelle Blakeley, is a small business professional with over two decades of experience in sustainable, holistic and progressive business practices who has successfully guided new and seasoned small business owners through the daily challenges of operating a small business with timely and transformative small business advice. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter, contributor for the San Francisco Examiner and Women On Business; curator of the online magazine, Micro Business Therapy™ and is the host of Professional Women. Personal Stories.
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