One of the most essential skills for a home – based professional to have is the ability to be adaptable. No matter what type of home – based business you have, the ability to adjust to changing circumstances can mean the difference between survival and defeat. It can also help you to go beyond mere survival and stand out as a leader in your field.
While it is true that most home – based businesses begin with a business plan, it is also true that adjustments to that plan are almost always needed once the business is up and running. For example, my mom has an eBay store and sells things on Amazon.com. I am so proud of the way that she has built her business over the past few years, and I am especially proud of how well she adapts to the changes that have come her way.
When my mom started out, she was primarily an eBay seller. A while ago, eBay changed its fee structure and some of its policies and she realized that the changes would. Instead of getting upset about what the changes would mean for her business, she looked for an alternative and found that she could do better for herself by selling certain things on Amazon instead of eBay. Recently, she was notified by one of the manufacturers of an item that she was selling that she (and a lot of other individual distributors) could no longer sell the item on Amazon. Within a few days, she had located a few alternatives to that item and is in the process of deciding which one she will start selling.
I have also changed my businesses as I have gone along. Most of the changing that I have done has resulted in adjusting my work schedule to the realities of having first one and now two little boys. Further adjustments will be made as they grow and their needs and schedules change.
The willingness and ability to make changes as you go along will serve both you and your home – based business well. How have you adapted since your business opened its doors?
Photo by kahanaboy on morguefile.com.