I had a conversation with a client the other day where she mentioned, “I feel like a crazy person! I keep pivoting my business and changing my offerings…it’s hard to not feel like I’m failing!” And my immediate response was, “girl, YOU ARE NOT CRAZY!” The truth is, mamas, pivoting your business is completely normal…and usually necessary.
Here’s the thing…pivoting is absolutely ok, but we also want to make sure we have strategy behind our business moves. Here are a few ways to pivot successfully and not feel like a crazy person!
Understand that Every. Business. Pivots.
It’s true! I do not know any business that has followed a linear path. Times changes, the market changes, and gosh…the state of the world we are living in CHANGES…2020 anybody?
So the first step in not feeling like you are failing or coming down with “squirrel syndrome” is understanding that this is a normal process for any and all businesses. You are not failing. You are not going crazy. You are not going off track.
Pivoting is Absolutely Necessary
Staying relevant is important! Understanding your ideal client and what they need at this moment in time is crucial. Because your ideal client is moving with the tides of their environment…you have to jump on that wave too sister. There is a reason why the content creation world pivots together…I mean…how many reel clips have you seen in the last 10 minutes of scrolling Instagram?
If serving the needs of your clients and/or potential clients is important to you, pivoting your business strategy, your product suite, your content creation, or even at times your brand identity is absolutely necessary.
Recognize When It’s Time to Pivot
So when is it the right time? How do I know I’m not suffering from shiny object syndrome?
You aren’t getting the traction you are expecting
Maybe you’ve put out a product, a course, a coaching program, or some other new service…but it’s just not producing any results. The first step would be to analyze the marketing efforts you’ve put behind the launch of your project/product/service.
But, if after you’ve made adjustments to your marketing plan, have pushed out the product etc, and STILL aren’t seeing any results, then pivoting could be your next step.
You have had a paradigm shift
I had a client recently that has a done-for-you-service style business. When she found out about the concept of VIP Days and how she could pivot her business model to help her service clients and also offer high ticket services…she was ALL OVER IT!
This is a paradigm shift. It’s finding out something brand new that allows you to look at your business through a new lens. Jump on these opportunities if it makes sense for you and your business! Yes, seeking wisdom and mentorship is important in making these decisions, but we have our intuition and instincts for a reason as well!
As a solopreneur, your business is not bringing you JOY
To me, this is the most important reason to pivot your business, yet it is the most overlooked.
You may have started your business and LOVED it…but things have changed. Maybe it’s life circumstances. Maybe the direction your business has gone isn’t what you anticipated. Maybe you have been bogged down with tasks in your business that suck your energy. It can be a number of things….but for whatever reason, your business NO LONGER BRINGS YOU JOY.
THIS IS OK. It’s completely acceptable to want to shift your business for no other reason than to make you happy. Of course, there are going to be tasks that you don’t like to do but are necessary. But you can outsource those eventually, right? But if your business has somehow morphed into something you are no longer happy with…it’s time to PIVOT!
You are not a failure or chasing a squirrel for doing so.
Do Some Serious Market Research
A key component in being sure you are successful in pivoting your business is making market research a major step in your process.
Putting together some surveys or polls and pushing them out to your ideal audience is a crucial step. You don’t want to put yourself in a position where you are building something for your audience that they don’t want in the first place.
So if you are pivoting your business to meet the needs of your audience or ideal client, make sure to ask them first.
Get Feedback from Your Fellow Mompreneur Community
This is why having a circle of amazing entrepreneurs is so important. It’s why it’s important to continue to authentically network, engage, and collaborate with your peers in business.
When it’s time to get their feedback, they are so willing to help because they are truly emotionally invested in your and your business. If you’re pouring your heart into your community, they will give it back when it’s time.
To Wrap It Up
The main point here is that you’re not crazy, sister.
Realizing that every business pivots on a regular basis (in small ways and in big ways) will help you feel less like you are suffering from shiny object syndrome and more like an entrepreneur on the right track.
Recognizing when it’s time to pivot will keep you from making the move before it’s the right time.
Doing some serious market research will help you continue to serve your audience in the midst of shifting.
And getting feedback from a community of your peers will allow you to tap into the network of amazing experts you have built around yourself so that you aren’t leading yourself astray.
It’s amazing how quick we are to be hard on ourselves. Even we, at MOMpire, have shifted and pivoted many times over the last few years. And we are in the midst of doing it AGAIN! We are so sure of our decision to serve our community even more than we have been, so we are opening the doors to our brand new membership! We will be sharing details during our LAUNCH WEEK from March 1st-March 8th over on Instagram, so connect with us over there to stay in the loop!
