Pivoting is something that we hear a lot about in business, especially in the startup space. Facebook began life as Facemash, Instagram grew out of Burbn and YouTube started out as a video dating site. All of these famous names started out moving in one direction and changed course for a variety of reasons. It’s all to do with inertia. A large, traditional company takes time to change course by even the slightest degree, but a small business or startup can dramatically change direction very quickly. The idea of pivoting is attractive as it allows small business owners to change direction in terms of the products or services they provide, the market they target or their business model. But how can you go about pivoting like some of the famous examples mentioned above? Of course, how easily you can pivot depends on a lot of different variables that are particular to your business, but there are some general tips that can be applied to any kind of small business and taking us through some of those tips on this episode of Excellence Expected is Amy Schmittauer who has recently gone through the process of pivoting her business. Amy’s has recently changed how she does business and so she’s got some fresh, real-world tips that are going to help anyone out there who is thinking of doing the same thing. Be forewarned that Amy’s going to be talking about firing clients, which I know sounds blasphemous in the world of small business, but it was essential for her to do that to pivot her business and set off in the direction that she saw the most potential in. She also touches on perhaps the most useful aspect of pivoting which is feedback. User feedback can be constantly considered to either make your product the very best it can be or to change your product to the tastes of the largest market. You may even discover a new market that’s responsive to your product after a few changes. Listening to your customers and tweaking until you, and they, are happy, is a fantastic advantage that small businesses have over larger ones. That agility is a weapon in the small business arsenal. Don’t let it go to waste if you find yourself in the wrong market with the wrong clients. Issue Challenged in this Small Business Podcast: How can I pivot my business? About Amy: Amy Schmittauer is the founder and face of Savvy Sexy Social. Her business helps empower brands and individuals to embrace their personality and share it with the world. Amy’s also a prolific vlogger and her YouTube videos have been viewed more than 10 million times. As well as all of that, she is an in demand public speaker and online marketing strategist. Actionable Tips: * Use the resources at your disposal. Remember what you have accomplished and take lessons from those experiences that will help you pivot. You can then research areas that you don’t any experience of and combine everything before setting your strategy. * Get Started. It doesn’t matter if the website doesn’t look the best or the product isn’t in its final version, just get going. Client feedback will be vital in getting your product to where it needs to be. * Tracking your successes. Small business owners really are in a vacuum so surrounding yourself with good, supportive people is important. Even more important is celebrating small wins each day. You need to be able to measure your progress and wins. Top Quotes: * “Pre-selling is the best way to ask your customers what they want.” * “Video marketing has everything to do with confidence.” * “If you are really trying, and I know you are, then you’re going to have a small win every day.” * “Perfectionism is the undoing of many a great product, service and business.” Amy’s Links: