Entrepreneurs: How to reinvent yourself and your business

As an entrepreneur, you'll be used to constantly monitoring your market. Not only this, but you'll also be keeping an eye on your competitors and how they're progressing.

Also, you're under a certain amount of pressure to improve your products or services while offering great value to your customers.

So, when a crisis lands, it can take a business by surprise. Often, you lack the preparation to deal with it. But a crisis can be an opportunity – indeed, it could be the chance you need to break free of any negative aspects lingering in your business.

You can overcome a crisis by reinventing your business. In this blog, we set out some steps you can take to rethink the way you work.

Consider your attitude towards risk-taking

COVID-19 has had a severe impact on entrepreneurs and new businesses. Faced with a pandemic, it's almost impossible to avoid taking risks. Sooner or later, you'll have to make tricky decisions.

Try to work out the individual situations you might face in your case. Then plan to avoid running into difficulties in the areas you've identified as risky. Instead, why not see this as a learning opportunity? Rather than resisting change, try to embrace it. Think of risk-taking as a chance to build on past experiences.

If you'd like to recreate your business, you don't have to take the easy route (and carry on as before) – quite the opposite. Now's your chance to be innovative. The more you believe in your idea and potential achievements, the greater your chances of success.

Have faith in yourself and play to your strengths

It's unlikely you'll need to make drastic changes to how your business works.

• Take the strong points in your business, then use these to rework your ideas.

• Adapt your product or service to meet a specific customer need.

• Strengthen your team by breathing new life into its structure. You can also take the opportunity to train your employees and promote a good team spirit.

Steer clear of the traditions and norms within your sector

It's easy to fall into the trap of following the norms and traditions of the sector in which your business operates. However, fresh and novel ideas to reinvent yourself and your business can often succeed.

• Search for new and better ways of doing things.

• Look at everything from a new angle.

• Trust yourself and your instincts. Then put your new structure in place.

• Search for new ways to interact with your business partners and customers.

Think about your customers

Even if your customer base is already large and well-established, you may want to build on it. You can attract more customers by creating appealing products and services that meet existing needs.

Spotting potential new customers is critical. It would help if you now looked for fresh opportunities to build on your base. This involves knowing who your ideal customer is. Creating a detailed working plan is also essential. This is the cornerstone for making your business stand out from the competition and winning over customers in your marketplace.

Above all, make sure what you're offering is appealing and user-friendly. Having a great product or well-designed service is very important. Think beyond just the visual aspects. Consider how people interact with your offering.

Depending on the type of product or service you have, different factors will affect the form they take. Nonetheless, don't underestimate the power of investing in design. You won't regret it.

Rebuild your business structure

If you think your business will benefit from a new structure, don't be afraid to go ahead and create one. You'll gain all the advantages of a more efficient business.

Put your faith in digital business solutions. Also, make sure you have the correct online set-up and presence. This includes a website and social media accounts. With these, you can refresh the look and feel of your business and your products or services to make them more attractive.

The many benefits of e-commerce are now widely appreciated by business owners and customers alike. Ultimately, the ways people shop and spend money are transforming. Also, new selling trends and innovations are taking the marketplace by storm.

Once the COVID-19 crisis has settled down, customers' shopping habits will be increasingly digital. This means new businesses should use a range of different methods to offer products and services. Doing so will make sure customers have the right solutions with added value.

Don't forget: your goal is to create an appealing and inspiring business idea and attract new customers. As a result, it's crucial that you're visible to people.

Look after your customers

Now, the most critical question to ask yourself is: "How can I best support my customers?" You need to keep your customers in touch with your business. Drip-feed them with ongoing information about aspects of your business such as:

• current events

• new stock or supplies

• business hours and delivery times

• your terms and conditions of sale

• how customers can get in touch with you

• staff who are there to help

Entrepreneurs tend to be talented people who stand out from the crowd. They're driven by the desire to create and develop new ideas. So, as an entrepreneur, it's vital you keep your goals in sight.

Have faith in your skills and ideas. Refreshing your business is very likely to succeed if you can combine your imagination, desires, skills, knowledge, efforts and determination. But your competence and commitment are most important here.

Relevant resources

• Why starting a business can help you lead a better life

• How to restore your life balance