In order to thrive in the Face of Certain Doom (insert big movie announcer voice there), it’s up to you to get creative. To think around the obstacles. To make the obstacles into starting blocks.
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“The economy’s bad.”
“The people just aren’t buying.”
“No one has money to spend on what I have to offer.”
These are the resounding cries of entrepreneurs and businesses impacted by the economic downturn of the last few years.
And yet, by so many accounts, small businesses are launching, growing, and even thriving, now more than ever.
Why?
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There’s an old marketing/advertising adage where two sales guys from two different shoe company are sent somewhere to scope out the market. One sends back a message: ‘no luck. They don’t wear shoes here.’ The other? ‘Great opportunity. They don’t wear shoes here.’
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Once upon a time, we didn’t wear deodorant. Not because the technology didn’t exist, or because we were somehow odor-free, but because advertisers hadn’t convinced us we stank. Yet.
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Hey, someone thought civet poop coffee was a good idea.
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In these instances, and so many more, businesses took a potentially bad (or just gross) situation and turned it around. Found the potential in the shoelessness, in the pheromones, in the…poop.
In order to thrive in the Face of Certain Doom (insert big movie announcer voice there), it’s up to you to get creative. To think around the obstacles. To make the obstacles into starting blocks.
We can’t control the rest of the world (no matter how hard we’d like to sometimes) – but we can control what we do, how we act, what we offer, and how we share it with the world.
No matter what hardship or B-movie monsters your business is facing, commit to doing what it takes to work over, around, or through. Commit to thriving!
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Dani Nelson is a geek and a hippie with a passion for helping smart, creative entrepreneurs make their businesses better. Her secret ingredients? Strategy, tenacity, tasty beverages, and two unshakable beliefs: that you (yes, you) have awesome things to share with the world, and that marketing doesn’t have to be awful.
Another example of business creating a market where none exists is the recent introduction of baby wipes for grown-ups. Brilliant. I resisted this trend simply because it was so blatant, but I have to admit I kinda like the wipes. Anyway, great post, good ideas to remember.
Great example, Charlotte – thanks for sharing!