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Are you in alignment with your business?

Written by: Kathryn Watson

Article Overview: For the past three years I have struggled. I mean really struggled. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. I had built a very profitable business before. One that grew quickly and bloomed into a beautiful success. So what was wrong this time?

Are you in alignment with your business?

For the past three years I have struggled. I mean really struggled. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. I had built a very profitable business before. One that grew quickly and bloomed into a beautiful success. So what was wrong this time?

The harder I tried the more I struggled. I looked back to see what type of marketing I did before and tried to match those efforts, but to no avail. It seemed I was doomed for failure.

When the first of the year came around I really started doing some deep soul searching. I took long walks and spent time in meditation. It finally came to me! Actually I think spirit had been nudging me all along but I kept ignoring the signals. You see, I had invested so much time and energy into my business and I am not a quitter!

But I am an entrepreneur I reminded myself and one of the key traits of being an entrepreneur is knowing when to let go, knowing when it’s time to move in another direction. When I finally realized that the problem was simply that I was out of alignment with my business the solution came easy.

So what does that mean to be out of alignment with your business? It simply means that when your beliefs, your values and your mission are not in alignment with your target market your business will not flow. That is exactly where I found myself. I felt like I was stuck in quicksand and suddenly someone reached in and pulled me out.

I didn’t have to ditch my whole business plan. Most of it was aligned perfectly. My values, beliefs and mission and aligned perfectly. I was marketing to the wrong people. No wonder they couldn’t hear me! My target market was not the big corporations but the individual like you and me. Entrepreneurs and people wanting to go into business for themselves are my ideal clients. They are usually open to change and a new approach. Once I got my business balanced I began flowing down the river of success.

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Article Tags: alignment, avail, business plan, corporations, ditch, entrepreneur, failure, long walks, marketing, meditation, new approach, profitable business, quicksand, quitter, signals, spirit, target market



Related Forum Posts
Re: How do you critique a small business? - There are so many great comments here. One thing that is missing is alignment of the business with the owner's values and the employees' values. We all have values and if there is a disconnect with our personal and business values, the business could be exposed to serious trouble. It might sound like fluffy talk, but I'm actually referring to the bottom line: Money! Consumers will not continue to buy products that don't align with their values, employees will be unhappy (read less productivity and increased sick time and maybe even quit), and the owner will not be fully satisfied either. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Every dollar saved translates into dollars earned. Here's the power of values... there is a certain clothing designer that myself and others I know simply will not support because that person is openly racist. I can tell you I like their stuff, but I will not buy it! I could provide values tests for the potential winners to fill out and make the comparison. The great thing is that whoever fills it out will also be appraised of an area in their business which could be strengthened. That in itself is a huge reward!
Why A Project Fails? - Hello Everyone As the size and complexity of ones business grows, so does their need to effectively manage projects. I have been thinking about the major reasons why a project can go wrong and my limited experience comes up with the following. 1 Leadership: A project manager with leadership skills and not just management skills. 2 Failure to (Foresee and) Plan 3 Failure to Manage: Ineffective change management control methods. Unclear decision making guidelines. 4 Talent: Finding, allocating and developing people 5 Scope: Setting an overly ambitious or amibigious project scope 6 Alignment: When projects are not prioritized in alignment with the business strategy, or project members personal objectives are not in tandem with that of the project / company 7 Lack of Candor: Communication Breakdowns I would be interested in knowing everyone's thoughts on this, especially on ways to overcome the above mentioned obstacles. Cheers!
Re: Is A Business Plan A Waste Of Time? - I don't see a business plan a waste of time. Actually it's a great goal-setting tool for a business and it also helps evaluate a business' performance which allows the business owner to see where the business is going. Others say that it is only important when seeking funding from lenders or banks, but I believe it is more than that, that's why I have mine written and it's a work in progress since I first started in business.
Is A Business Plan A Waste Of Time? - According to various government statistics, up to 80% of businesses will fail within their first five years of operation. That number is staggering to me. At the same time, when I look at most business owners, most of them do not have a business plan for where they want to go. When you ask entrepreneurs why they don’t have a business plan, most of them will say something like: “it’s too much work”, “I’m not trying to raise money”, “it’s all in my head already”, or “my business changes too often for a business plan to be worthwhile.” Sound familiar? Did you write a business plan for your company when you first started? Are you planning on doing it for your new business idea?
Is "Good" - Good Enough - I was just reading the thread about whether people need a business plan and this idea hit me. Someone commented that if you don't have a business plan and you're doing all right - then why spend the time or money. But, is doing good or doing all right - good enough? Maybe you're a business that is getting by and making the bills. What if, taking the time to really evaluate your business with a detailed business plan could help you see places to make some changes which could take your business to the next level? Would it be worth your time? I think it would definitely be worth the time. That could be because I've worked with a number of business owners who were "getting by", but once they committed to having someone evaluate the business - they saw a drastic increase in their revenue. So, why couldn't or wouldn't an entrepreneur do an evaluation to determine where the business is, where it isn't working and where it should be going? This could be done in a business plan format. Just some random thoughts. Shri


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