Living in the “New Normal”

During these exciting and tumultuous times, we may find ourselves longing for the “good old days” when things were predictable and we could foretell, fairly accurately, what tomorrow would bring for our business based on the steps that we took today and the results that those strategies yielded. However, it is indisputable that this type of “normality” is over for today’s successful businesses. In fact, we may as well accept that the “new normality” is one where our businesses will be exposed to turbulence, a certain degree of uncertainty and a variety of surprises on an unpredictable basis that will totally change the way that we live, work and make money.

And you know what? I don’t think that this is necessarily a bad thing. While we may occasionally long for a return to “normal” times, a lot of this turbulence is actually positive. The massive economic shake-up presents vast opportunities for your business to move into new areas of customer service and take over new markets, in addition to providing the opportunity that seldom came along in the past to literally knock a competitor out of the competition simply by providing better goods and services for a better price. Historically, when things are predictable people do not make changes. However, when things get “hairy,” then the best man, woman or business nearly always reaps the rewards.

However, living in this “new normal” will take some getting used to. You will have to cultivate an attitude of flexibility, and those de-stressing breathing techniques you learned at that one yoga class you attended last year may come in handy as you learn to keep a clear head in unusual and surprising situations. The best way to adapt to the new business environment is to be as prepared as possible for all eventualities, but also be prepared to be unprepared. Instead of worrying constantly over every detail that you cannot predict, focus on controlling what you can (your level of quality and service) and rely on your own intuition and honest business sense to help you identify areas where you can provide better quality and service to customers.

Be open to new marketing ideas, such as the current popular trend of using promotional merchandise to make all of your marketing do “double duty” by promoting your business not only to the person using the merchandise  but also to everyone who sees it,  you can prepare yourself for a new era of flexibility and profitability when it comes to marketing and business success in the “new normal” of business and strategy.

And remember, market creatively, carefully and often!