Planning for a product business is tough at the best of times, but how on earth can you plan your product business during a pandemic? With global turmoil and recession at every turn, it may seem impossible. Thankfully, small business coach Hannah Stacey is here to show us how…
Where do we begin?
Firstly, do not panic! We’re going to walk you through how to confidently step into 2021 and level up your product business, leaving you asking, ‘what
pandemic?’.
There’s no doubt that at the present moment we’re facing uncertainty in our mid and long-term future. But I’m here to say that despite this tumble, whatever the height may be, you and your business can and will survive.
One thing that is looking certain is that we’re heading for a world of flexibility, empathy and compassion. Which is a beautiful positive and a rather large win for the small business community that we operate in.
What steps can we take to start planning during the pandemic?
The first step to getting clear and confident about your next steps and your 2021 goals, is to destroy any fear that may be holding you back. Big ask right now? Maybe, but equally, it’s totally possible. Why is this the first step? Because fear will always cause inaction, and without action you won’t progress.
So, on to the important how. Take action and draw on past experience.
Think of a time when you have been fearful and assumed the worst possible outcome was heading your way, but then oh so suddenly all went swimmingly and you loved the experience? That’s the kind of memory we need to grab hold of right now. What past experiences can you look to, to inspire yourself?
Immediate action; take a pause! Take a moment right now to pop the kettle on, grab your favourite stationery and write out any worries and anxious fears. Then go through each one and firstly ask yourself, is it 100% true that is going to happen or am I making an assumption? Then ask yourself the following questions for each;
- What are the true potential outcomes?
- What can I learn by reading up and asking others about how to overcome the possible effects of these true outcomes?
- What else could I do that would help me feel confident that I can overcome these possible outcomes?
- What action can I take to prepare?
What’s next?
As a creative, you’re likely an impatient over thinker (including myself in this category!), wanting epic results yesterday and having a hundred negative reasons as to why that hasn’t happened.
Trusting your own judgement is key to making sure you fulfil any actions you set. Once you’ve identified your fears, make a decision on the actions you’re able to take to overcome them and stick to them with as much belief in their success, as you have that the stars come out at night.
If you find yourself delaying action; perhaps thinking ‘I don’t want to stock pile my products and waste materials in case the country goes to smush and no one buys them, which is then such a waste of my time and the materials!’ then blimey, hold your horses! The only thing that will stop you selling that stock is you. There is an abundance of money in this world and if you’ve made even one sale during this pandemic then you’ve got a good thing going – so get stock piling!
Always call out your assuming doubts and revisit the questions above whenever they rear their head and get in the way of your action. You can and will survive this.
This is a guest blog written courtesy of Hannah Stacey Coaching on behalf of Pedddle.
About Hannah Stacey Coaching
Hannah Stacey is a 1:1 Mindset and Strategy Coach for female business founders. With a decade of experience in building a successful six figure product business and an accredited NLP Practitioner and Life Coach, Hannah now supports others in facing the overwhelm and starting to scale up confidently and successfully.
If you want to work with Hannah to plan your product business during the pandemic, you can find her here:
Website: www.hannahstacey.co
Instagram: @iam_soulfullysourced
Facebook: @hannahstaceycoaching
Or you can read our Q&A with her by clicking here.