It is almost impossible to run a business for any tangible amount of time without running into adversity. Whether an employee quits, a founder decides to leave the company or a new competitor takes some of your market share, part of being a business owner is dealing with the unexpected. What are some ways that you can learn from the challenges that you face while running a company?
What Caused You to Fail?
The first step to learning from failure is to pinpoint exactly why you failed. If you weren’t able to retain employees, it could have been your strict corporate policies that drove them away. If you weren’t able to grow sales, it could have been because you didn’t offer products customers wanted or weren’t providing quality customer service.
The best way to figure out why you failed is to be brutally honest about your experience as a business owner. In some cases, it may be a good idea to enlist the help of an outside consultant or another objective party who will tell you what you need to hear instead of what you want to hear.
Make Necessary Changes to Ensure Future Success
Let’s say that you determined a lack of customer support was the reason why your business failed or wasn’t growing like it should. Ideally, you will take steps to ensure that your existing customers feel valued and that they will tell others about your company. This may mean that you offer special discounts or other sales to those who have been loyal to your brand from the beginning.
If you determined that your business failed because your employees weren’t engaged, it may be a good idea to make the workplace more fun. For example, you could split your workers up into teams and see who can make the most money during the day or over the course of a week. The winning could be rewarded with a day off or a special outing. This may help to improve engagement and motivate your people to do their best.
Review and Update Your Business Plan Regularly
The only constant in the business world is that things are constantly changing. A few years ago, it may have been possible to get by without a website or a social media presence. However, these are both mandatory today to ensure that your brand can reach current customers and find new ones without spending too much on marketing.
As technology evolves or new competitors try to take away your customers, it is a good idea to review and update your business plan. This allows you to make decisions that are consistent with your company goals and values. It may also allow you to find ways to streamline operations or eliminate processes that are obsolete or holding your business back.
Some believe that they are a failure if their business doesn’t succeed. However, there are many successful entrepreneurs who ran multiple failed businesses before they finally broke through. No matter how many times you may fail, the important thing is that you learn from your mistakes. As long as you keep trying and don’t quit, you will never be considered a failure as an entrepreneur.
