3 Reasons for 'Re-potting' your Business

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, there are changes going on here at Clerical Advantage. The new website reflects a fresh new look and feel to the business.  In the days ahead I’ll introduce more fresh, new changes to my business.  There is nothing like a few changes to breath new life into a business. So how come I see so many businesses and organizations still looking, feeling and acting the way they did when they first started out?
I suppose the answer I’d get from them is that you don’t fix what isn’t broken. But what if you could get it to work better, faster and stronger? One could compare those ‘stale’ businesses to a houseplant.  On the outside it looks fine in it’s pretty little plant pot.  It’s green and appears healthy. But if you look a little closer you can see that it’s root-bound in that pot, it’s capacity for growing bigger and flowering is stunted because it’s still in the same pot you bought it in.  If you’d just get your hands dirty and put it into a bigger pot, maybe add a little fertilizer and a little more sunshine it could be so much more.  Here are 3 reasons to ‘re-pot’ your business:

1. People want what’s new. Think about it. Don’t you like to see fresh new packaging on the items you use?  Don’t the words ‘new and improved’ on the box make you curious?  Don’t you get a little tired of the same old tired advertisements and commercials? Of course you do. Now think about the last time you made changes to your business. Maybe it’s time you piqued the curiosity of your target market?
2. Newer and Easier methods of doing business. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone bemoan, “But we’ve always done it this way!” when I’ve suggested things like building a database, purchasing new software, sharing information electronically or some other ‘new-fangled’ idea, I’d be working from a tropical island somewhere. And even though they may grumble and moan during the learning curve, they end up being the same people who are the most thankful for new, time saving processes. There is a lot to be said for stepping outside of the comfort zone.  When someone experiences discomfort it tends to produce some sort of action.  In business you want action!
3. Growing beyond your original vision. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with your original vision for your business. What I am saying is that it’s possible that you could take that vision and build upon it. Perhaps your original vision was to provide local home buyers with a real estate service that made them feel cared about and comfortable with the home purchasing process.  But what if you could reach out and de-mystify the home buying process for hundreds of thousands instead of just the few hundred in your local area?  Or what if you could teach other real estate professionals around the country how to do what you do, and through them reach millions?  Wouldn’t it be worth the time and effort to write a book or teach classes and expand your business beyond it’s original concept?

If you’re clinging to the ‘its not broke, don’t fix it’ mentality, take a moment to think about these three things.  After all, spring is getting closer. Maybe it’s time to see what your business could become with a little ‘re-potting’?