The last small business lesson we learned from baseball was about keeping your perspective during a long season. While it is important to baseball players that one bad pitch doesn’t ruin the entire season, it is equally important for small business owners to see the value of the entire customer relationship, not just one transaction.

We also learned how valuable it was for baseball players to watch replays of themselves in order to improve – and how small business owners should constantly analyze each aspect of their business in order to grow better for their clients, and for their business success.

This baseball lesson for small business focuses on not giving up too soon, and also not getting comfortable in what appears to be an easy win.

Small Business Comebacks – A Reason to Celebrate

Nine innings includes hundreds of pitches and dozens of plays. If a player thinks at the bottom of the first inning that he doesn’t have a chance to come from behind, he’s made a huge mistake. There have been numerous wins in the sport, from Little League all the way up to the pro level, which happened because of a comeback from the beginning results.

Stories of business comebacks also happen, and are often equally impressive. Target came back from near-obscurity to take on discount retailer Wal-Mart. Steve Jobs re-invigorated Apple. Many businesses in recent years have experienced renewed growth, or a comeback, similar to that of a baseball game. Comebacks happen, even in the ninth inning and beyond.

Small Business Losses – A Reason to Learn

While comebacks are always exciting, the reverse is also true. Sure-win games have reversed course with unfortunate losses happening in the final inning. The same happens for small businesses. IBM was once the safest choice for computers, and is now a mere shadow of its former success. Companies sometimes get too comfortable in their role as market leader, they are not diligently focused on future growth, and their devalued stock often shows as a result.

The lesson for small business success is obvious: The game isn’t over until it’s over. Your business strategies need to be reevaluated on a regular basis, whether you are struggling to survive or you are merely coasting through normal daily existence.

The baseball game has nine innings, and the game isn’t won until all nine have been played. If the outcome of the game were certain at the start of the play, nobody would stay the course. Changing pitchers or game strategies can work in a team’s favor.

Likewise, adjusting to current market conditions or economy fluctuations can also work positively for your small business success. A new customer can change the whole game – and the reverse is also true – a new competitor could have strategies that could cause you to lose the game.

Playing all nine innings is synonymous with doing your best, even when defeat – or victory – seems certain. A winning team always looks forward to finishing the rest of the inning, or game or season. A successful small business does the same – looking ahead to next year, new clients, and bigger business growth. Turn your business into the mindset of a winner!

Winning baseball teams prepare for the long season, and continually look to the future for improvements. Winning small businesses that know how to strategize for the long course also prove to be highly successful. Mastermind Consulting is ready to help small businesses see success throughout an entire season. Contact us today for to learn more about the Benefits of Consultation during a private strategy session.

Last week we introduced you to our new series and how baseball training can also be compared to small business growth. Here’s your first baseball lesson of small business tips:

Think about the length of time that baseball players spend on the playing field. Typically, the season lasts from April to October, with hundreds of games during that time, usually lasting more than two hours each game. Add to that the pre-season training and extra playoffs, and you’ve got a lot of time on the diamond!

However, the very first inning of the first game doesn’t determine who wins. The season lasts a long time, and the outcome isn’t determined by the first swing at the bat. By the end of a season, an average batter has been in the box more than 500 times, and they don’t always get a home run. Their first time up to bat can set the tone for the whole season if they allow it, or they can learn from that first time, make adjustments, and do better.

Small business opportunities grow the same way. Compare the pitches of baseball to business activities. While one single customer interaction seems extremely important for that moment, there is a larger strategy to consider for winning the transaction.

In baseball, great players play hard every pitch. But, they also know how to pace themselves and shake off a missed strike and move ahead.

Small Business Strike-Outs Shouldn’t Stop You

In your small business plan, you need to have   Continue reading →

Office organizing, end-of-year file purging, or tax preparation time – all of these times are reasons to look at your existing business records and decide what’s necessary to keep or for how long. Too often, small business owners don’t have   Continue reading →