Friday, January 11, 2013

Reconnecting With Your Starting Point

By Catherine Delcin

To effectively plan for the growth of a business an entrepreneur has to zero in on the origination of the business. This is important is because you need to orient yourself to the preliminary stages of your business prior to putting yourself on a continued path of success. Think of it a retrospective look with an inclination towards the future. Some say: "the best way to move forward is not looking back." That adage would not hold true here. In this case, the best way to move forward is to look back. This looking back is purposeful and helps build on elements of the past to strategically position your business for continued success.

A business' starting point is the ground zero of what the founder set out to accomplish. Most successful business owners can pinpoint to a particular point in time, when they took the plunge into the foray of entrepreneurship. This starting point maybe related to a physical act or it may be just the mental disposition that led them down a path to a particular business venture. Ask yourself the pointed question of what drove you to start this business? What passion did this particular venture arise within you?

For most of us, this retrospective look begins by connecting with the passion that you had for the business in the initial stages. For some, it may be a simple trip down memory lane to recall the passion that drove you to a venture. This passion may be renewed and reaffirmed over the accomplishments of the business or ignite a motivation to overcome impediments by re-positioning. For example, if you started a business in the basement of your house with the hopes of having a brick and mortar business, you may now be able to see sufficient growth to take the next step or maybe the lack of growth will inspire you to shift the direction of business.

A deeper understanding of the intended consumer need the business was designed to address is another important aspect to reconnecting with the origination of the business. You will do that, by simply asking the question and conducting an honest assessment of whether the business is serving that consumer base. Even more important, you should ask, whether that segment needs that service presently? Depending on the answer, you may need to shift or make certain adjustments to fit current consumer trends and needs. For example, a need to create a brick & mortar clothing boutique may have waned with the advent of the internet and rising costs of real estate.

The overall goal of the reconnecting is not so much about the balance sheet of the business, but a more intrinsic self check to align your vision with the reality of the business. Reconnecting with the starting point of your business by taking into account its past history intended objectives and existing market conditions is the best way to grow your business and ensure its success.

� Copyright Catherine Delcin, All Rights Reserved.

Catherine Delcin is the Managing Director of Delcin Consulting Group and founder of The Entrepreneurship Movement--- http://www.theentrepreneurshipmovement.com/. Connect with her for further insights through The Entrepreneurship Initiative radio show--- http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-entrepreneur-initiative

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