Published:
11/16/2011 07:03pm
How to Recession Proof Your Business: 5 Steps to Freedom
Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice..have the courage to follow your own heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
~ Steve Jobs
With recession is in the air, the typical media flurry of doom and gloom is picking up momentum. US unemployment is nearing double digits, US debt problems remain unsolved, the Eurozone debt crisis continues, and world stock markets are falling as confidence in the global economy sinks.
What is a Recession, Really?
While economists will tout that a recession is two consecutive negative quarters of a shrinking economy (as measured by consumer demand for products and services), underneath that, a recession is a crisis of confidence driven by fear.
Collectively in the past 75 years, we've devolved into a world of global consumers, where in the past we were a world of global citizens. We're up to our eyeballs in debt, connected to fiscally irresponsible governments with debt ridden balance sheets, causing nations in crises - all to support our collective desire to consume beyond our means. The mantra across the globe is "more is better" a recipe for perpetual dissatisfaction.
Individually, many of us have beliefs that "I don't have enough", "there's not enough out there for me", and "I'm not enough" - so we engage in a voracious pursuit for "more" to both insulate us from our fear that we might not have enough to be safe, along with our primary drive toward temporal pleasure as a means to salvation.
A recession is just an external reflection of this collective inner crisis rooted in delusion, that spreads like a virus, and manifests as "an economy in turmoil". The root cause is simple: it's fear. The paralyzing virus of fear. It's an unnecessary inner state, we attach to it - as we get bombarded by society with messages of doom and gloom, we feed it with our thoughts and emotions and it's just not a skillful way to live.
5 Steps To Being Recession Proof
Once you understand what's going on under the surface - the collective psychology at play, you can choose to stand outside the story, detach from the noise, and focus on your core purpose of serving your clients and customers. Below is a five point road map to help you navigate the noise.
1. Let go of the fear of scarcity.
Understanding the above "illusion" will give you the power to observe the story from a more objective place, and when you feel drawn to the drama, witness your mental-emotional reaction pattern rather than identify with the collective "story".
2. Be on purpose.
Get really clear on your purpose, the purpose of your business, and how that's communicated to the group you want to serve (target market). Your purpose is transcendent, it grounds you like a mountain, and keeps you from fluttering about like sand in the wind when outside forces invade.
3. Understand the truth of brand.
Understand the true notion of differentiation - it's you, being you, in your truest, most authentic, naked self - and expressing your story (the power of story is vital) in connection with the transformative benefits of your product or service. Your unique ability expressed is the core of brand strategy and marketing strategy.
4. Let go of the fear of competition.
Competition is a notion mired in a scarcity-adversarial mind-set. There is truly enough business for everyone, and enough resources for everyone. Abundance is. The way to deal with competition is 1) know that it doesn't exist outside your mind; and 2) get clearer on what makes you unique and how that gets expressed to the world. Then proceed to step 5.
5. Communicate vigorously, prolifically and shamelessly.
After getting clear on your authentic message, and how you will share that with the people who need your service, build a marketing strategy and plan that is grounded in action, and execute, execute, execute. There is only one you. There is only one "your company". There is only one "your team". And you were endowed with the power to c
