In its most basic definition business is a solution to a problem. That solution is your product/service that you get to charge money for. This pandemic has created a lot of problems for a lot of people. It’s forced evolution and its when businesses thrive. 

Whether now is the right time for you to go after that idea that sets your soul on fire comes down to your perspective. With new challenges comes changes, comes growth. The world as we knew it will not return to how it once was. Like a rubber band once stretched out cannot return to its original shape. It is all in how we choose to respond to the challenges set before us. Global events like these will alter our futures, in terms of government, our sense of normalcy, working conditions & class differences. You have a choice to sit back & wait to see what shape the world takes or you can go out there & be one of the sculptors of that future & most importantly play an active role in ensuring that you build a life around your happiness, not one built out of fear & a scarcity or lack mindset.

Many of our realities are that we’re being let go from jobs that we didn’t even enjoy…

If I can be so quickly let go of a job I didn’t even like and took for security only to realize it wasn’t very secure at all, except for keeping me from facing my fears, by staying in my comfort zone. It’s like building a wall to keep all the bad out to wake up one day & realize all you’ve done is built a prison for yourself. Your work can either be your freedom or your prison depending on if you decide to go after what lights your soul on fire.

1. The Gift of Time

We have been gifted with what is one of our greatest resources- time. No, we haven’t gotten more of it but rather some of it has been freed. Many responsibilities & societal conditionings we struggle to keep up with have been put on pause. Your kids don’t have to be rushed around to sports, no girls night with your old college chums, no parent-teacher meetings, or hairdresser appointments, not to mention ALL those non-essential errands that would somehow take up a whole Saturday. All those tasks that required traveling many of which have been canceled. Even trips to the grocery store have changed. We see people batching their trips, meal planning a month in advance. This free’s our time. While yes so many of us have had to transition to working from home our time has still been freed to creatively pursue the tasks that propel us towards our passions & goals. Rather than searching for a yet another Netflix show to binge, use that time to push towards a goal that elevates or adds value to your life when you come out of this on the other side. One of the biggest mistakes I made when starting my business was that I didn’t get organized & since I was working full time out of the home while raising a child with responsibilities outside the home it was really difficult to even find the time to get organized which led to a whole lot of oh I’ll do it later… when I have more time. Well, guess what buttercup?

  

2. Taking advantage of the work-from-home situation.

There have never been more people online than right now. Which means exposure, it means audience building, it means laying your foundation. It means getting your business in front of eyes early on! The whole world is online right now (outside the home, hospital, or grocery store) its the only place to be, so take advantage of this! Test out that business idea in Facebook groups, run some targeted ads to see who your niche would be. Point is, get out there & by “out there” I mean stay home & get online!

3. Forced Evolution

Recessions & pandemics change governments, economies & definitely businesses. Thanks to the last recession people were forced to share commodities like cars in order to cover ends meet, and now we have uber, and airbnb! Collectively we are shifting towards acceptance – remember when we were told never get into a car with a stranger? Much less pay to sleep in their house. Not only are businesses having to pivot the way they do business – but we as consumers are having to open ourselves up to our new odd way of life. Which sets the perfect stage for that new out-there business idea to be well-accepted. I mean whoever thought those visors with shields would selling items like a new iphone.

  

4. Supporting small business = supporting the backbone of the economy.

Now more than ever consumers are looking to support small businesses. When times of crisis comes it makes us all wake up & pay attention. At the end of the day, customers know that if they are shopping local they are helping their local economy. Sure big corporations & companies have their place but its the small businesses that keep us going, keep jobs local in their own communities, and keeps money circulating within that community rather than going to some CEO’s beach house in the Caribbean.

5. Community & Support.

With so many out of work, you can easily find other entry-level entrepreneurs to help get your vision off the ground & a community to surround yourself with! Remember this is global you aren’t the only one out there in your situation. Want to start a copy-writing business go into those Facebook groups & see who’s up for a trade or exchange of services to either get your feet wet or to show on your portfolio. You may cross paths with someone who’s decided to finally launch their own social media marketing business after running their employer’s account for many years!

B O N U S

I understand the idea of “starting a business” even during “normal” times is daunting! In the first year of my design business, I couldn’t even bring myself to refer to what I was doing as a business. Even though it was a legal LLC since day 1 & I had over 16,000 sales my first year. In the end, it comes down to your mentality. I had to have a mental shift to finally stop calling my business that “artistic side thing” & for me to start showing up as a business owner. Your first lesson of business school is just that -the mental shift. 

Think of what you’d most like to do, write down all the fears that surface then journal – is it the truth? Or is it a limiting belief? How can you overcome this fear? What actionable steps can you take TODAY to overcome this fear?

Ex: Fear-based belief: With so many people out of work, who has money to spend on my new product/service? 

All those people who are sitting at home with salaried paychecks who are usually spending their money dining out, bar hopping, traveling & shopping are now sitting at home (probably still shopping) scrolling their feeds waiting to find you!

Start by taking the time during this quarantine to get your mind right to begin creating a life & business of your dreams, because at the end of the day life is too short to just have a job. Grab my affirmations to help!

---