Blog | Entrepreneurship

Keeping up with Change

How to Stay Relevant in an Ever Changing World

The business world today is different than it was 20 years ago; it’s even different than it was two weeks ago. There’s a struggle and immense pressure to keep up with the ever-changing standards that allow entrepreneurs to be successful.

It might sound crazy, but ideas have an expiration date. By this I mean ideas can become irrelevant just as fast as they were relevant.

Just look at what a traditional job used to be:

• Rigid Hours (9:00-5:00 hours)
• Rigid Schedule (Monday-Friday)
• Expectations (Stay and work with one company until retirement)

This definition of a job is one that is stuck in the industrial revolution era and is extremely outdated when compared to the jobs of today. Traditional jobs have been shipped overseas to foreign countries to cut down costs or the job just doesn’t exist anymore due to technology advancements. Despite these facts, our school systems still program our children to go out and look for this type of job.

So, in this rapidly changing world, how do we train ourselves to find relevant ideas?

Studying the Trends

If we take a look at history, just 5-10 years ago, we’ll notice a lot of change. For example, look at the powerhouse company Amazon. They have changed the world of brick-and-mortar bookstores that were once in every shopping mall in the country (Borders and Barnes & Noble). Now, they have taken over as one of the largest online retail stores in the world. Amazon’s supply chain technology is off the charts and is setting a precedent for up-and-coming online retail businesses. We can also take a look at companies such as Skype who is directly competing with corporations like AT&T and other giant telephone corporations in the industry.

Technological improvements and innovative companies, like the ones above, are doubling knowledge every 18 months or so. If this is the case, ideas really do have an expiration date. In order for ideas to survive, a business needs to ride the wave and continually improve based on the new knowledge that is released.

How to Stay Relevant

If you want to start a business, don’t let this rapidly changing industry deter you from following your dreams. There are businesses being started every single day. The trick is finding aspects to your business that are timeless.

Brand loyalty will always be a strong force of nature for any business. When you’re passionate about your brand and what you stand for and create, so will other people. Businesses only die when they don’t stay true to their brand. That’s when you’ll start to lose your loyalty.

It’s also important to consider building a community around your business. When people see that you are dedicated to serving your community and customers, you’ll start to build loyalty that lasts. It creates an environment that allows your customers to be dedicated to you.

Have open communication with your customers and speak to them like you would a friend. Customers want to trust you. There is no better way to earn their trust than to listen to what they need. Not only is it beneficial for your customers, but it’s beneficial to you as well. Receiving free feedback about your business and the products/services you provide will help you stay current with what’s trending out there. Your customers will unknowingly be feeding you the knowledge that you need to understand the ever changing trends and markets.

If you can try to implement some of these timeless strategies into your business, you’ll have a strong foundation that can help you weather that storm of ever changing knowledge and ideas. Stay flexible and be willing to adapt to your surroundings!