There is no better time but now to take stock as to whether your business objectives for the past year have been achieved. The financial world is in the wake of what many believe to be the worst financial crisis since the great depression.
Technological advances and the outlay of globalisation are connecting the world with one hand and shrinking it with the other. Thus, the role that business plays is changing dramatically and many have been forced to think innovatively to stay abreast of the times.
With this necessary shift in thinking, we took the decision, around what is now about two years ago, to look at what we could improve upon in our business. How better to do this than to do some research and who better to speak to than our customers? The result was a re-fresh and a re-launch, a different face to the company but without changing the voice that has made us who we are. That voice, the strong relationships built through face-to-face networking.
Furthermore, while many companies chose to cut back on marketing and internal training, we chose to further invest in these areas with the knowledge that we were investing in the future of our business. The introduction of Interactive Entrepreneurial Workshops brought a fresh platform for SME business owners to come together and share their experiences in this rapidly transforming environment. Moreover, it provided a means to nurture and develop our SME customers as well as introduce potential clients to our service offering.
In the midst of this revolution in connection, social media became a platform that the business world could tap into. One of the challenges however, was how Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, etc. could be used optimally for the greatest impact to the market. The key here for us has been practice and familiarity. Social media has allowed our network to find us faster and, through sharing, it has brought interested parties to the table, especially in the powerful networking environment that Linked In provides. Linked In opens up that extended network that your peers in business are a part of, enabling you to make strategic decisions about how to leverage your network to meet the right people and ultimately achieve growth.
Just as importantly, it provides the opportunity for recommendations and referrals from those that have dealt with you, providing the give-and-take that will see you through these tough times and, better still, with the control to grow in spite of it.
Nothing endures but change – Heraclitus