It’s easy to start a business these days, with how readily resources are available for use online. However, to stay in business – that is a challenge.

Sustainability and profitability –  these are the two words fresh entrepreneurs dread because they carry the weight of all kind of challenges: not having enough money, resources or even time is just to name a few.

But there’s good news – overcoming these tough situations is now a possibility.

Here are some of the most common kinds of challenges entrepreneurs face, and how they can be solved:

 

Increased selection and competition:

 

The ease of starting a business creates a broader level of competition – think of it as a large combating field. You will find many businesses competing for each product you sell, like a horde of players with different weapons. Now, if you’re unfortunate enough to carry an insufficient weapon at hand – or are not clever enough in the first place – then you will be the first one to get overwhelmed.

In the same way, the business world suffers from an increase in the overall selection of products and more focused competition. It becomes a battle of perception, focus, marketing – and luck. Only business owners who master these elements and give a good customer experience can win the sale, while the rest perish, or stay stagnant.

 

Solution?

Don’t worry about proving something to your competitors – instead, focus on your goal. Keep your attention on what you and your business does best, and continue to communicate your value to your audience as genuinely as you can. With a clear idea about your target market and your competition, you can invest in promotions through a specific medium like the internet.

 

Uncertainty

Uncertainty is somewhat arbitrary – you cannot quantify it, but it is always present in the business world.
Although the “better safe than sorry” mentality helps business owners stay cautious while making serious decisions, it often leads to them either getting nothing significant done, or causes them to focus on short-term problems. They inevitably move away from long-term planning and become accustomed to short-term goals.

If you were to focus on the short-term work, growth would come easily. But if you continue to nod your head to them, without any view toward the future, then your business will turn into a mess of unsatisfied customers. Your product will most probably have the same inconsistent quality projected onto it.

Solution?

People should be mindful to balance the need for a more reactive, short-term focus with the need for informed, long-term strategies. The best way to do that is to treat the two simultaneously.

Short-term goals can be dealt with by checking if it is SMART:

S: Specific in terms of improvement?

M: Measurable in terms of success?

A: Achievable for the business?

R: Realistic to achieve?

T: Time-related – how soon will it work?

Long-term goals need more in-depth research and insight. Make sure you refer to as many executives and working partners as you can before working on your business’s future in the long run.

Lack of innovation:

Our world is famous for being inventive and motivated to merge new technologies into everyday life. Unfortunately, this same kind of energy has failed to inspire entrepreneurs, who are still eager to stick to the age-old book rules. Even larger businesses struggle to create an innovative culture, where their ideas don’t go beyond the box.

This kind of restricted mentality trickles down throughout the entire company, where employees stray away from change and resist any adjustments that do take place. Ultimately, the company’s product suffers from the same neglect and out-dated fate.

Solution?
The best thing you could do as soon as you start off your business is to be open to innovation. Research through the latest technological updates like blockchain technology, tablet-based POS systems etc., and see where do you see your company flourish. Make sure all your employees are prepared for it, too; discuss it with them in meetings, in case they show signs of resistance. Once they learn how beneficial it can be, your business will surely prosper.

Money Management

Too often, business owners fail to focus on cash flow generation. In fact, it is the second most common reason small businesses fail early, according to research from CB Insights.

Cash management becomes even more necessary while recessions take place when cash flows slowly into a business. Rather than calling it quits, a business should be willing to shore up cash reserves to meet all obligations and to handle emergencies that may occur.

Solution?
The first thing you should do is to budget smartly; you need to allocate money outside of your spending budget to cover for any unexpected mishaps that can take place anytime. After all, prevention is better than cure.
Simultaneously, you should work on maximizing contributions to your bottom line by using channels that produce consistent sales.

For small businesses, the better thing to do would be to hire a professional who can help with trivial things like bookkeeping and accounting, so that no economic inefficiencies are created.

 

Problem Solving and Risk Management

Today’s businessmen have a lack of a sophisticated problem-solving competency. Too often companies forget the art of identifying, assessing and calculating risks, instead of jumping from one fire to another without dealing with the consequences. There is a severe need to acknowledge the financial and human restrictions a company may be facing, instead of biting off more than one can chew.

Businesses need to realise that problems are a part of any business – but letting them prolong is something that is not justified. Therefore, departments should be ready to face the worst and work towards solving an issue at hand instead igniting fires that did not exist in the first place.

Solution?
To do well in the future, companies should resolve a problem as maturely as possible, by developing a robust problem-solving capability at all levels. As companies begin to identify risks, they will ultimately learn vital problem-solving skills that will help them in the long run.
Owning your own business has its own perks – but dealing with adversities becomes part of the norm. In a world as volatile as the business world, you need to be ready to face any challenge thrown at you and deal with it in the smartest way.

Fortunately for you, that is no longer impossible.