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

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 can be 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, promoted new training programs, 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. Yet, 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, when 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 with an open mind 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.

Flow and grow,
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com

Managing the occasional deluge

Well, the lazy days of summer are winding down, and life’s hustle is cranking up again. It seems that once Labor Day hits, boom! The next thing you know, the holidays are upon us. And as Murphy’s Law would have it, these busy times seem to be when life’s little emergencies seem to pop up unexpectedly! Managing what life throws at us while keeping up with our businesses takes some talent, organization, and sometimes, even the costly outside contractor.

There are times when there’s just so much on our plates that hiring outside help becomes a necessity. Now I am definitely a do-it-yourself kinda girl whenever I possibly can, but there are times when there are not enough hours in the day to take care of it all. For example, in the middle of last month’s crunch time in publishing The Retail Observer, a copper pipe in my office sprung a leak, flooding my desk and equipment, requiring me rip out the ceiling, walls and crown molding. The air conditioner on the roof leaked the following day and proceeded to flood the upstairs master suite as well, leaving me without air conditioning for one full month in the Vegas triple digit heat — a remodel I am still in the middle of. The timing couldn’t have been worse. While working on the repair as best I could, it just made more sense to hire workers so that I could continue to deal with the most important issue at hand — the magazine.

While many people are hesitant to hire outside help in the effort to save money, there are times when hiring an outside contractor or business consultant becomes the best financial decision you can make. Having someone take care of the items that draw your focus away from your job frees you up to concentrate on the crucial areas of your business that bring in the money, grow the company, and ensure repeat customers. Your time is well spent in your business—after all, its success is largely dependent on the values and culture you established when you originally opened your doors. Now is a good time to find qualified help with the many changes in the workplace environment over the past year. Start interviewing and hiring excellent talent now to free you up to be the best captain to take your business into the future.

Ahoy — and full steam ahead,
Eliana Barriga
​eliana@retailobserver.com