Are You Stuck in a Small Business Black Hole?

Whether you’re self-employed or run a small business, it’s easy to get so busy you can’t remember the last time you came up for air. Do this long enough and you can get pretty lost in it…Certainly to the point where you no longer see the forest for the trees.

When I was running my last business full bore, it seemed like days would pass without me leaving the house—let alone talking to another human being besides my hubby (Poor guy. He really got an earful when he got home at night.).

It didn’t take me long to discover this was unhealthy for both me and my business. Because I never got any fresh ideas for how to run, market or grow my business. I didn’t have anyone to turn to for support or guidance. And I sure didn’t have time to take a break and get some exercise or hang with friends.

The thing is, it is really hard to grow a successful business if you’re living and working in a vacuum day after day. You need to get out and see what’s going on in the world. Otherwise you’re likely to be blindsided by changing conditions in the marketplace, economy or industry.

Besides, some of the best and most profitable ideas don’t come from reinventing the wheel…They come from taking an idea that works in one industry and incorporating it into your own. The drive-thru window is a perfect example of this. But without fresh ideas and inspiration it’s hard to come up with anything new.

So how do you pull yourself out of a small business black hole? Here are 3 simple ways…

#1) Subscribe to general magazines or newsletters geared towards entrepreneurs, not just ones that speak to your industry. This gives you a broader knowledge base of what’s working for other businesses and new ideas you can incorporate into your own.

#2) Get out of the office and do some networking live and in person. But don’t worry about selling anything. Look for ways to make connections with smart entrepreneurs and people in complementary professions. And go in search of other, savvy small business owners you can create strategic partnerships with, or mastermind with in search of support, answers or accountability.

#3) Take thyself to a seminar, workshop or conference. Again, it helps to go to at least some events that aren’t specific to your industry. Otherwise you just end up with idea incest. My favorite seminars are geared towards marketing because they attract a wide range of businesses, yet spend the entire event talking about something every entrepreneur needs be better at.

These events cost a bit more, but they’re usually really energizing and are wonderful venues for making powerful connections. I recommend you attend at least one a year—more if you can.

Do these 3 things then fasten your seat belts. You’re sure to get a bunch of brand new ideas. And chances are you’ll be inspired to change some aspect of your business for the better!

What do you do to take a step back from your business and reconnect with the world?

Where do you find ideas and inspiration for improving your business?

Please do share by leaving a comment below…

[tags] Small Business, Marketing, Networking, Growing, How to, attending seminars conferences [/tags]