Perhaps I started thinking about writing about expanding our horizons as another way of talking about that worn-out cliché, “think outside the box”—but I think it is more than that when it comes to our home businesses—we need to make sure we continue to stretch ourselves, and stretch our marketing and networking nets far and wide, in order to keep our businesses growing and thriving.
It isn’t just about finding new ideas or trying to problem-solve in creative ways, but we have to actually stretch ourselves and our businesses in order to continue to attract new clients, customers and prospects. This is where the horizon expansion comes in. If you are always going to the same networking events or attending the same leads group—you are probably seeing the same people. If you are always advertising the same way, sending information to the same lists, etc. you really aren’t stretching out of that comfort zone in order to attract an expanded market. I am not advocating that you drop that existing list or existing activities, just that you continuously add new things to it in order to reach the widest possible potential audience.
The same goes for other aspects of your business—do you always visit the same web sites or read the same trade magazines. Even shaking up your morning paper reading can be one way of expanding your horizons—if you always read the local newspaper, why not read the New York Times or a statewide paper for a change a couple times a week. You might be surprised at how a little expansion and deviation can really jump start your business operations and keep things fresh and growing. There is no need to completely throw out the old, in most cases, but making it a goal to add new activities and allow for new influences is what keeps a business from getting stagnate.
Also: Keeping it Small on Purpose
Ask Yourself–How does This Help My Business?