I think I’ll forever associate the year 2020 with 20/20 vision. We’ve all encountered situations these last several months that we probably never imagined as the year transitioned from 2019 to 2020, champagne glasses were clinking, and hugs and kisses were exchanged. What was your vision then? How has it been reframed today?

As a sense of uncertainty and lack of control swept small businesses, our own company doubled down, focusing on our mission and our strengths. While most small business owners may pivot their business only a couple of times in their career, for us, pivoting, messaging, finding products for markets and markets for products is in our DNA. It is what we live for, and we want to apply that expertise to help small businesses not only survive these times, but find new ways to thrive.

Like bringing binoculars into focus, we succeeded at bringing clarity to our clients’ companies as well as to our own. Here’s how:

Ready-Aim-Fire

World events not only impacted our lives, but abruptly challenged the way we do business. No longer were companies “firing” on all cylinders and bringing in revenue as they had before. Instead, they had to revisit the “ready-aim” part of their business.

Over the last few months, we helped companies conduct here-and-now SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analyses with an eye on the things they can control – their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. This helped create a clear picture of whether they needed to pivot their product, target audience, marketing channels, messaging – or all of the above. We then helped them create pivot marketing plans to provide a clear vision of how to take the next steps.

We practiced what we preach by looking at our own marketing plan, our internal systems and processes, and our messages. We fine-tuned them to clearly communicate who we are as a company and how we help small businesses grow.

An Outside Perspective

When small businesses rely on “how we’ve always done it,” they often miss opportunities to grow. An outside perspective can be invaluable at helping to remove the blinders that have unknowingly stunted a business’s growth. We’ve always worked alongside business owners to help navigate a path forward, but during these last few months the stakes were really high. Pivots needed to be formulated and acted upon quickly. Business owners needed to know, more than ever, that they had someone in their corner.

Within our own company, we wanted to be working with blinders off. So, we dissected our internal communications processes to determine what gaps we needed to fill. We also reached out to trusted advisors in our circles to gain insights and see our own business more clearly.

A New Vision

When presenting a recent client with their strategic marketing plan, the owner exclaimed, “I want to do business with our company!” With a clear mission, target audience, value proposition, and differentiation messaging, this leader had a new vision that he believed would resonate with his prospects and customers, as well as his employees! He felt we’d provided the foundation he’d been trying to establish from which he could grow the business.

I had the same “aha” moment when I reviewed the new website we’ve been working on for 5280 Accelerator. I’m proud of what we accomplish for our clients and to have a website that communicates all we do. Check it out at www.5280accelerator.com and drop me a note – I’d love to get your feedback.

What’s Next

Clarity of vision today will drive the effectiveness of our approach to the remainder of 2020. How does your company do business and what shifts might it need to make? What actions will you take to solidify your presence in the market? Can you emphatically say, “I want to do business with my company”? If not, take a step back, revisit your plans, and set a 20/20 vision to move your company forward successfully this year.

The team at 5280 Accelerator is ready to help. We ask the tough questions and approach your challenges with an “owner’s perspective” to help you overcome hurdles and establish the mission, the message, and the market to accelerate your growth – even in tough times. We would count it a privilege to be by your side.