​By Eliana Barriga
Publisher and Managing Editor for The Retail Observer

So, can we be real here? Life as we know it is zooming by at an unprecedented rate these days. We need to launch our personal and business lives into beast mode in an attempt just to keep up, let alone get ahead! So, who’s minding the shop?

Maybe it’s time to do a quick SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats) analysis to see what your business does best and where it may be falling short. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the company.

Today, technology, society, life, and our priorities are in constant change. Consumers are used to change; they have even come to expect it. If their perception of your company is the same for too long, they won’t give it a second glance. Maybe it’s time to refresh your logo, re-design your website and engage more in social media with an active video presence. Companies who stay up-to-date count mobile-friendly websites and technology-based services among the ways they serve their customers best. In order to keep up with the times, we must be ready, willing and able to keep current with customer needs and expectations in today's marketplace.

Has your brick and mortar location’s neighborhood transformed since you opened the store? In some areas, the socio-economic mix may have changed dramatically. How has that affected the perception of your storefront? Have entertainment venues entered the scene? Have the traffic patterns changed? Consider a move if your current location has become undesirable.

Once you’ve identified what you need to do to infuse a sense of freshness into your business, roll it out in stages. Engage your employees to discover ways to please and attract new customers. Embrace your business’ fresh new look and feel. It’s time to refine your business for the times.

The takeaway is clear: As technology continues to improve, companies will be forced to adapt, change or die, based on their customers’ ever- changing demands and expectations. Change is inevitable, and it’s up to us to keep up with it.

Here’s to embracing change!
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com

It shouldn’t surprise you that this famous quote comes from John Maxwell, one of the most respected experts in the field of leadership. If anyone copes with change day in and day out, it’s the business owner. But the irony is that we are the very same people that fight change the most.

Look around your business, have you added any new product lines or services lately? What about new partnerships with vendors or collaborations with other local businesses? Have you attended any new trade shows, participated in a new training program or sponsored a local event?

Most of us think that we are playing it safe in business by sticking with what has been and what has worked. Staying in our comfort zone is what seemingly keeps us protected and is what keeps us in business. But actually, when we work against change, we work against growth. We close the door to new conversations and possible opportunities. It’s like swimming upstream with the same determination as the current against us. You feel like you're working hard and getting things done but in reality you are only staying in place, or worse, drifting backwards.

In the spirit of the changing seasons, I challenge you to pick one area of your business this month where you will consciously stop swimming upstream, turn around and allow the current to take you in a new direction. Call that vendor who has been trying to reach you and find out about their services. Sign up for that trade show that you’ve always wanted to go to but never got around to attending. Sit down and talk with that employee who seems to be full of energy and new ideas.

Get excited about embracing change in your business and I promise you that growth will soon follow.

​Become courageous!
Eliana Barriga
​eliana@retailobserver.com