When starting a business, one thing that many entrepreneurs fail to address is ways to avoid tunnel vision as you work toward building your business. It’s easy to get so caught up in your intended business path that you miss the small things. Thus you wind up missing opportunities for growth and development in your business. As entrepreneurs, the passion we have for our business and the problem we’re trying to solve, that we lose the ability to see the forest for the trees. Depending on the pain point we’re trying to solve for our clients or customers, it’s easy to get caught up in being laser-focused on providing our product or service that we discount everything else.  Here are three easy ways to avoid tunnel vision as an entrepreneur so you don’t spend too much time, money, or energy on the wrong things when just starting out.

Stay on Top of Trends to Avoid Tunnel Vision as an Entrepreneur

Failure to adapt and change with the times can be a detriment to your business. In a time when the social, economic, and political climate is changing quickly, it’s important to adapt to these changes. Staying on top of what is going on in the world, in your community and especially online is imperative to your success. When the world spiraled into the depths of a global pandemic, companies, business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs had to use the current circumstances to pivot.

A business owner who may have had tunnel vision on a product or service that wouldn’t work during a global pandemic had to find a way to change with the times and make their business work for the times. Here are a few key ways to stay abreast of what’s going on in your industry so you can avoid tunnel vision in your business:

• Keep on top of what your competitors are doing in-person and online and watch out for trends. If you’re so focused on one aspect of your business but are missing meeting your clients where they are (whether that’s on TikTok or out in the community) growth will prove difficult.
• What could you incorporate into your business? Looking to your competition. Determine what you could add to improve your business. But also, look to your competition to see what they’re missing. This could potentially be the thing that sets you apart in your industry.
• Listen to what your current and potential clients and customers are saying. What are they asking about in Facebook groups? What types of Direct Messages and questions are you getting from people?

Why Having an Open Mind is the Right Business Mindset to Help You Avoid Tunnel Vision

The ‘this is the way we’ve always done it” mentality will ruin a business every single time. Many corporations are stuck in their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) methodology. They’re unable to make changes without a lot of red tape and logistics. While this works to keep operations in alignment and create a straightforward workflow, sometimes stringent policies and rules can keep a good company from becoming great.

As an entrepreneur, you have the ability to set the tone for your business.  An open-minded mentality when it comes to ‘how things can be done’ will take you far. The ‘this is how it’s always been done’ can feel like the right thing to do until you’re challenged by a business partner to try something different. It’s important to avoid tunnel vision as an entrepreneur. as you could risk giving your competition an edge. Stay open to new ideas and procedures to ensure you’re not leaving anything on the table.

Be Open to Alternative Distribution Measures

Many times business owners can get hung up on how they deliver their products and services. The feeling is that if it worked when you first started out, why would you change anything? If you’ve always used YouTube to promote your services and find leads, Whether you use a YouTube channel to promote your services and find leads or your clients find you via your website, it can be easy to get stuck with what has worked in the past. For continued success, however, it’s important to avoid tunnel vision as an entrepreneur by considering alternative ways to do business.

With ever-changing social media platforms, like Tik Tok and Instagram, failing to tap into these resources could hold you and your business back. Seek out collaboration opportunities, consider the market reach of platforms you’ve not explored before, and stay ahead of the game.

Building and growing a business requires an ability to think outside the box and seeking alternatives when necessary. Just because something is working, doesn’t mean it will always work. Staying on top of new trends and keep an eye on the political and social climate. This will put you ahead of your competitors. You’ll be able to reach clients or customers in ways that matter to them if you’re vocal about the issues that they care about. Having an open mind and being receptive to new ways to market your products and services. No matter what type of business you have, keeping things fresh and innovative is the key to continued success. Avoid tunnel vision as an entrepreneur and watch your business thrive!

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