Just because it’s the next “hot” thing doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for your business.  It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to make sure that you don’t miss anything or that your business is on top of the latest and greatest trends, but before you jump feet first into something simply because it’s what’s hot at the moment, ask yourself the following questions: 

  1. Am I being true to my mission?  If you’re not sure of what your mission is, now is the time to figure it out. You should be able to articulate your mission in a few short sentences or a 30 second commercial that will clearly identify who you are and what you do.  Everything you do should align with this mission statement and support it.  
  2. Will this action gain my business traction with my target market? Unless you’re a nonprofit most people are in business to make money. If the next hottest thing will not increase your revenue, why do it?  
  3. Do I know enough about this hot trend to execute? Is this something that you can do well? If not, don’t do it. If you think this hot trend will help advance your business, but you know you don’t know enough about it to do it well, find someone that can guide you. 

As a professional it’s easy to get intoxicated by what appears to be just what you need to get to the next level. Is it important to be on top of what’s going on in your space, but it’s just as important to have the maturity and insight to know that all things are not for all people.   

You know your business better than anyone else…don’t get caught up in thinking that what you are doing is not enough. You know the old adage…the grass looks greener on the other side.  And it especially looks greener when you’re in a rut, going through a slow period or experiencing flat growth. The answer is not always something new, sometimes; you just need to focus on what made your grass green when you started.