Inventory the present for future success

Taking inventory of the present is one of the best things you can do when pursuing a new goal.

It is difficult to know how to get on the right path when you don’t know where you are in proximity to it. Think about how you use a navigation system. When mapping directions to your destination, don’t you usually use your current location?

Where is your business right now?

A lot of times, where you think you are, isn’t where you really are. Taking inventory means looking at your business from the inside out. Ask “why” about everything you are doing. Make sure you are doing those things because they positively impact your business. If the answer is, “because this is how we’ve always done it,”  then you may want to stop doing it, or see how you can improve it and make it more relevant to your audience.

Here are several examples:

• Who are my current customers and how did they find us?
• Are they the right customers?
• What resources are we using to accomplish X and are they the most effective?
• Why do we….?
• How is our execution of…?
• How healthy are the relationships with our team, customers, partner, etc?

Taking inventory of the present is also making sure what you say about your brand is the same as what your audience says about your brand.

Is your story and your customer’s story about you the same? This can be a huge point of confusion. And when your audience is confused, they don’t act.

These exercises are like using a GPS for your business.

How often do you take inventory of your business?