By Jennifer Hutchison
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| The best hitters are those that can hit the ball into the gaps between players, and you should be no different with your own strategy. |
What do baseball and business have in common? In life, we take many swings, but not all end in home runs. The same applies for starting a home-based business. There are bound to be times when you swing and miss, but there are also times when you swing your bat and send the ball sailing over the third baseman’s head.
So how can you make sure that every swing turns into a hit and grows your home business? The truth is that growth relies on several factors: working hard, procuring the right tools, and taking advantage of every opportunity that comes along.
The good news is that all you need to get started on the path to growth is some creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. We’ve gathered 6 quick tips on what you should keep in mind when working to grow your business.
Batter up!
First Base: Just Look to the Cloud
It should come as no surprise that the best way to start encouraging business growth is by investing in the technology you need. But with a tight budget, how is that possible? The answer is simple. Get ready to look to the cloud and point out where your hit will go.
From email marketing to project management and even social media, home business owners should be looking to automate as much as possible. With apps like Sprout Social, Elite Email, Earliz, and more, there’s a bit of something for every business, no matter what your area of expertise. But before you even begin to search for the apps you need, start by looking for a simple platform that’s built to keep everything organized. After all, sure you can go out and buy all of the baseball equipment you need, but without a bag to put it all in, you may find that juggling all of that equipment from game to game will be more than just a little difficult. Like a good bat bag, a cloud desktop like SkyDesktop can keep everything organized and in one easy-to-access place, no matter where your home business might take you. It’s simple to use, free, and best of all, it scales with you as you grow.
They say to get the job done right, you have to have the right tools. After all, you wouldn’t step up to the plate armed with a hockey stick, would you?
Sliding into Second: Step Up to Every Opportunity
In order to hit a home run, or to even get on base, you have to be ready to take advantage of anything and everything thrown your way. Being a home-based entrepreneur gives you two huge advantages over larger companies: agility and adaptability. If you get thrown a curve ball, you can easily side step it and take it into right field, or you can pass it up and wait for a juicier pitch. Being adaptable and agile can help give you that competitive edge that all small businesses need. The best hitters are those that can hit the ball into the gaps between players, and you should be no different with your own strategy. If you can identify a particular customer need, you can act quickly to make sure that you take advantage of that moment by meeting that need and simultaneously positioning your company to benefit.
Rounding Third: Hard Work Beats Talent Every Day
At the end of the day, no game is won by talent alone. Instead, it’s the drive, passion, and hard work that can take a team to the Playoffs. The first and most fundamental fact about both business and baseball is that the best players and entrepreneurs have the passion to succeed, allowing them to turn their dreams into a reality. Keep this in mind with your own business. To grow, you have to work hard, and in some cases, harder than you’ve ever worked before. There will be long, coffee-filled nights and aching backs, but when all is said a done, every ache and blister will be an additional run scored for your company’s success.
Heading Home: Stick to Your Game Plan
The road ahead for a successful business is the same as the one for baseball: when you look toward your end-goal, whether it’s increasing profits or winning a pennant, there are plenty of challenges waiting. Before you step onto the field, make sure that you have a game plan set in place. Having a plan will help you take advantage of constantly changing conditions, while still keeping your ultimate goals in site. Not to mention a plan will enable you to ask the important question: is what I’m doing right now helping me achieve my goal?
The best strategy for both baseball and businesses is to formulate a plan that you stick to. Know your long-range and short-range goals and stay focused on what you have to do in order to achieve them. Keep your business plan close and don’t be afraid to change it up if the opportunity comes along.
Growing a home business takes time, commitment, and plenty of practice, just like gearing up for the World Series. With these 4 tips, you can be well on your way to hitting a home run with your home-based business.
Do you have any other tips or stories for how to grow your home business? Let us know in the comments below!
