• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

PlanningShop

Plan. Start. Grow.

  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • Book Rhonda
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • Book Rhonda
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
startup

Why Your Small Business is Now a Startup

December 2, 2020 //  by Rhonda Abrams

Whether you’ve been in business 10 days, 10 months, or 10 years, it’s time for a “make-over” for your small business. If you’re going to survive and thrive in the Covid-dominated economy, it’s time to think of your small business as a startup.

Remember what it was like? You had an idea, a dream. You didn’t know how it was going to turn out but you seized any opportunities that came your way, continually changed as you learned more about your business, and worked long and hard. But you believed in yourself.

It’s time to do that again, given that customers’ buying habits and needs have changed—often dramatically. It can be scary, but it can also be exciting. And most of all, it’s necessary.

I recently examined the kind of steps small business owners need to take now while writing my just-released new book, The Sh*t’s Hit the Fan: Now What?! 99 Recession-Proof Tips for Small Business Success. I realized that it not only took tactics, but also attitudes.

And the most important attitude: think of yourself as a startup. In a recession—in a vastly changing economy and society—no matter how long you’ve been in business, you are actually starting fresh, anew.

** Actual startups: If you are just starting, there’s a good chance you’ll have to veer away from your original concept, change your business model, even dramatically change the kinds of goods or services you thought you were going to offer. That’s OK—most startups have to change course early on, regardless of economic conditions.

** Existing businesses: Sure, it’s going to be more challenging to think of yourself as a startup—but it’s a good way to approach running your company right now. Of course, you probably have some baggage that real startups don’t have: leases, bills, inventory, employees, and more. But you also have a wealth of resources startups don’t have: loyal customers, vendor relations, experienced employees, industry knowledge.

Even if you didn’t have to “pivot” before, as Covid-19 cases start surging again, we’re likely to see more business closures and customers changing their habits. That means embracing the idea of pivoting and pivoting again.

For example, restaurants have been particularly hard hit, and small restaurant owners have to think like a startup, continually changing. During the past closure of restaurants caused by Covid-19, many restaurants “pivoted” to begin providing take-out meals, even if they’d never done that before. That was a first step for most. The next step was creating outdoor eating spaces. Now, many restaurants have to figure out how they can change again.

Startup thinking needed!

Some restaurant and food service owners found other sources of new revenue: online cooking classes, selling meal kits, offering groceries. A small chain of ice cream stores in Seattle—which made their own ice cream—started packaging and selling their ice cream to grocery stores. In doing so, the owner added a new long-term line of business, helping her not only survive in the short run, but grow substantially.

That ice cream store owner may have been in business for many years, but her grocery ice cream business was, in essence, a startup.

In my business, we too have to embrace startup thinking. I’m in publishing—and if I were starting my business today instead of 20 years ago, I would certainly be thinking digital first. So, with our new book, we first thought of it as an ebook and are putting our marketing efforts into digital sales.

Embracing the idea of being a startup gives you more energy and a more positive outlook. Like a startup, you’ll learn lots of new things. The way your business—and yourself—will thrive, not just survive, is by growing in new directions.

Yes, like a startup, you’ll have to work hard. If you’ve been in business for a while, you’ll probably have to put in more hours than you did in some recent years. That can be daunting, but hard work never frightened any entrepreneur.

So think of yourself as a smart, experienced startup. Let that experience and knowledge guide you—not handicap you—as you launch the next phase of your business.


Copyright Rhonda Abrams, 2020

This article originally ran in USA Today on December 2, 2020

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Category: Rhonda's BlogTag: business, coronavirus, COVID-19, entrepreneur, rhonda abrams, small business, startup, USA Today

Previous Post: «BuyBlack Friday A New Small Business Holiday Tradition – #BuyBlack Friday
Next Post: The Best Last-Minute Gifts May Surprise You Portrait of happy young woman holding Christmas presents in store»

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Rhonda's Blog via Email

Instagram @rhondaabrams

Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #newsletter #smallbizguru
What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of your smallbiz customers, in my latest @usatoday column. Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #customer #digitalmarketing #smallbizguru
National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to sta National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to start the weekend!! Enjoy, and go find yourself some doughnuts 😋 🍩 
.
.
#smallbusiness #fridayfeeling #nationaldoughnutday
#smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #ins #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #inspirationalquotes
“And I’m proud to be an American, where at lea “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” - Lee Greenwood -
.
.
#memorialday #neverforget
We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some R&R, productivity . . . whatever your small business needs~
.
.
#smallbusiness #weekend #entrepreneur #fridayfeeling
Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #tips #entrepreneur #newsletter #smallbizguru
#smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #inspirationalquot #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #inspirationalquotes
Here's to a great week, small business owners! . . Here's to a great week, small business owners!
.
.
#smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #mondaymotivation
My Tweets
  • Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #newsletter #smallbizguru
    What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of your smallbiz customers, in my latest @usatoday column. Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #customer #digitalmarketing #smallbizguru
    National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to sta National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to start the weekend!! Enjoy, and go find yourself some doughnuts 😋 🍩 
.
.
#smallbusiness #fridayfeeling #nationaldoughnutday
    #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #ins #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #inspirationalquotes
    “And I’m proud to be an American, where at lea “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” - Lee Greenwood -
.
.
#memorialday #neverforget
    We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some R&R, productivity . . . whatever your small business needs~
.
.
#smallbusiness #weekend #entrepreneur #fridayfeeling
    Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #tips #entrepreneur #newsletter #smallbizguru
  • Footer

    Our Products
    Instructor Central

    Privacy Policy
    Contact Us

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2023 PlanningShop · All Rights Reserved · Site design by paulinaart

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT