Wave goodbye to missed opportunities

Photo by tom coe



Today, I’m going to show you a powerful way to take action at the right time, every time.



Waiting for the right time is always the sensible thing to do. The challenge is that we only know if we’ve acted at the right time, when we look back and join the dots. That kind of certainty is rear view mirror stuff. And it’s a key reason why small business owners miss out on fantastic opportunities.



The problem



Usually, when a small business owner tells us they’re waiting for the right time, they’re unintentionally stalling.



Unintentionally stalling?



Yes, of course!



They’re not intentionally stalling. They’re very seldom even aware of it and the waiting is a source of frustration to them. They’ve simply set the bar so high for what ‘the right time’ means to them, that it never seems to happen.



However, even though the stalling is unintentional, it still means decision making is extremely difficult; especially big or tricky decisions. These important decisions are the kind that determine the success or failure of a business. This dramatically limits their business results, as business opportunities are missed and problems that needed to be addressed get worse.



Resolving the ‘right time’ challenge



The reasons behind setting our bar too high are many and varied. They range from fear of loss at one end, to fear of success at the other. Yes, many people fear the perceived problems they associate with owning a bigger, more successful business .



One thing we can all do is learn to identify if we have this challenge, if we too are accidentally setting our ‘right time’ bar too high. Identifying we have this challenge is the key to overcoming it. Thankfully, it’s really easy to do.



Here’s a quick overview.




Think of a decision you’ve been putting off. One that you’re waiting to act on, until the time is right.



Next, write down what the right time would have to look like, in detail, for you to do whatever you’re currently putting off.



Finally, you need to honestly determine exactly how likely it is, that those things will all fall into place, in the correct order, when you have the money, stability and time required.




If you fully believe you will be in that ‘right time’ scenario in a timescale that means you won’t have weakened the opportunity or missed it completely, you’re not stalling .



If you believe the likelihood of all those variables connecting the way you want, in a reasonable timescale is low or non-existent, you’re stalling .



Overcoming this issue has always been important for small business owners. However, with 2024’s economic uncertainties ahead of you and your business, it’s absolutely essential. I work with small business owners every day , whose businesses are now perfectly suited to navigating the road ahead. They’re going to absolutely crush it this year . I recommend you do the same.



In short, the commercial risk of stalling has never been greater. So take a look at that 3 step process. If you believe you’re stalling, call it out and make the decisions required.
Wave goodbye to missed opportunities was written by Jim Connolly and originally published on Jim's Marketing Blog