2020 is the year of challenges and changes. For many people the pandemic has had a huge impact on all sectors of their life. Unemployment has risen with more small-scale businesses shutting down due to drop in the market, but as with the saying “no pain, no gain” if you survive this year it is sure to make you stronger. If you’re smart, this is the year to review your business roadmap and make changes if necessary. The highest mountains are conquered by those who don’t give up, no matter how tough the situations get. The victory lies on the other side of the obstacles, and we can always win through them. Now the question lies, how to get through this year…

Self-improvement And Enhancement Is The Key

Learning is important for constant growth, as an individual and as a business person. Because if you’re not willing to invest in yourself, why should anyone else be willing to invest in you?
Investing in yourself, your mindset, and habits is key to good business. It’s your dependability that people believe in more than the ideas, so it’s necessary to work on your frame of mind.

Embrace Your Fears And Be Courageous

The absence of fear is not courage; it is embracing the fear and going along with it to achieve the tasks, regardless, which takes courage. Fear is nothing but a condition of the brain; it is there to protect you when something is unsafe. Fear keeps you safe and makes you avoid a situation when it’s unsafe. A businessperson’s mind works slightly differently, an entrepreneur’s brain can do anything until it gets to the edge of the cliff, but it won’t let them jump, for that leap of faith they must rely on something else instead of their brain. No-one likes to be afraid, but it is the ability to get out of your comfort zone that makes you learn and grow. This is the year to get comfortable with being uncomfortable!

Talk To Your Customers

The more you interact, the more you’ll connect, the more you connect, the better you’ll know your customer’s needs and the better you fulfil them. This will earn loyalty from your customers, which is the most important requirement during a pandemic. Whilst your physical Cigar shop is closed, you can pivot and sell cigars online. As many physical stores and businesses pivot to online during the pandemic, this is when loyalty will be essential.

Set Goals Or Renew Them As Per Needs

It’s essential to adapt to the changing market, business conditions, and client types to keep up the growth and development of your business, even amidst adverse conditions like a global pandemic. Switch to more market efficient techniques, set new goals, motivate your employees to work towards achieving them with better speed.

Tap into your original motivation for starting your business

In tough times like these, it’s important to remember why you started doing what you’re doing, in the first place. Were you super passionate about sharing your passion for Cuban cigars with people? Can you create an online community of passionate cigar smokers whilst everyone is in lockdown? When you visualize the beginning, it helps you be open to new ideas, and to have a clear perspective of the situations and how to deal with them.

Seek Help From Industry Professionals and Peers

You can’t be expected to know everything or be an expert in all areas of your business. Be honest with yourself, and where needed turn to a business management consultant to advise you. Join small business associations for advice, for in times like these, every hand of support counts.

Change The Game

Look, analyze, innovate. Observe the working patterns and ideas of people nearby in the industry, analyze the ways of their creativity, and then observe innovation in industries other than your own. Combine these new ideas with your existing knowledge and create something new. A business stands and thrives on creativity.

Promote And Show

Half your success depends on the quality of your work, and the other half depends on how much you shout about it. The more you promote, the more will people know. Do a lot of PR to promote and prove to the world that what you’re presenting is what they need.

Pay Yourself

You must focus first on making money first, then and after doing so, be sure to pay yourself. After all, the most important investment you’ll make is in yourself.

Believe And Keep Positive

Even in the darkest moments of your life and your business, look for light and don’t lose hope, because your positive mindset will get you through the toughest hurdles.