How to Evolve Your Business Post-Pandemic

All of us, and our businesses, have been through so much disruption in the 14 months since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. As more people get vaccinated and more pandemic restrictions ease, we're experiencing even more change. We adapted over the past year to the "new normal" of Covid, but now it's time to figure out the new new normal.

At this pivotal moment, it's a good time to take a step back, observe what's happening in your business and your life and figure out how to keep growing and evolving. We put together this list of questions you can use to do just that. 

First Things First: How Are YOU?

Your business can thrive only when you're thriving, too. But if you aren't feeling your best right now, you're far from alone. You may also be noticing that certain aspects of your business just no longer feel like a fit for you. So let's figure out what you need to restore, re-energize and recalibrate.

• Are there any-self care habits (like exercise or massage) that you let slide during the pandemic? Can you start bringing them back into your life now?
• Has work taken over your life during the past year? How can you take more breaks? We're talking both pauses during the day and longer getaways from work.
• How long has it been since you've done something to feed your mind, whether that's reading a thought-provoking book, taking an online course or spending time with art that inspires you? What's something you can do this week?
• Are you feeling burned out? Check out our past article on burnout to recognize the signs and get an action plan for bouncing back.
• Have your values changed over the past year or so? For example, do you want your business to do more to support a social cause you care about?
• Has what you want out of life changed? For example, do you want to increase your income to build a larger financial cushion? Do you want more free time? Do you want to create different income streams to buffer you from future disruptions?

What's Going on With Your Audience?

Just as you've gone through changes over the past year, so has your audience. Understanding what's happening with them now is critical to setting the path forward for your business. 

• What has your audience experienced since the start of the pandemic? What are they experiencing now?
• Has their response to any of your products or services changed? For example, for many businesses, demand for virtual offerings has increased.
• Did the shift toward virtual services during the pandemic expand your potential audience? For example, are you a coach who started working by Zoom and can now see clients worldwide?
• Have your audience’s values or priorities changed? For example, are they now less interested in career advancement and more interested in work-life balance?

How Does Your Business Need to Change?

The next step is using your answers to the above questions to identify the areas where your business needs to evolve in the coming months.

• Do you need to change anything to bring your business back in alignment with your values and priorities? What about with your audience’s values and priorities?
• Does your business need to add or eliminate any offerings to better meet the new needs of your audience?
• Does your business’s messaging need to evolve to speak to what’s going on with your audience now?
• Does your branding still accurately convey what your business is now and what you want it to be in the future?
• Do you need any new tools to communicate with your audience?
• If you are now conducting more of your business virtually, does your digital presence convey all the important things that someone would discover from meeting you in person? Do your personality and your expertise shine through?

What did you discover through answering these questions? What are the most important steps you can take for yourself and your business right now? If you need a trusted partner to help your business grow and evolve, schedule a chat with me now.