Has Your Business Hit A Glass Ceiling?

The term “glass ceiling” is most often used in corporate jobs. It is used to explain the phenomenon where people climb the ladder, get promoted, seem to be on track and then for no apparent reason – their promotion path seems to stall and they get no further.

However, in my experience this phenomenon also occurs in businesses. The business is doing really well, growing year on year, and then all of a sudden the turnover levels out and nothing you seem to do makes any real change. This is your business hitting it’s own “glass ceiling”.

This phenomenom can simply sneak up on you without you even realizing it if you have been in business for quite a few years.

You get comfortable with both the level of money coming in and the level of activity needed to generate the income. You become satisfied with the status quo and find that you don’t want to have to work too hard. You may even start to lose your original energy and enthusiasm and the business simply plateau’s out.

The second reason for reaching your limit happens frequently to people that work for themselves as a Solo-preneur. You find that you have reached your own personal limit of knowledge or you simply have no more time left in the day to grow your business. The result is that it can start to stagnate.

It can also happen when you have exhausted all the possiblilities of your current product range and need to expand, but don’t either have the knowledge or the money to do so. We continue to market and promote our services in the same way we always have and we offer the same products and services in the same formats that we always have.

If you can recognise yourself in any of the statements above, then here are some simple steps you can take right now to get out of the rut.

Revisit your Vision.
Why did you start your business in the first place? Does your vision still inspire you? If not it’s not going to inspire others – find something to motivate and excite you again.

Spend some time tapping into your imagination and creativity.
What are the current needs of the marketplace? Could you create a new, innovative product or service to offer to your clients?

Work out what your strengths are then look at the types of work you are spending your day doing. Do they match? Or, are you spending half your day doing menial tasks? Figure out how to get someone else to do that stuff for you & free up your time and energy.

If you don’t know how to “step it up” to the next level – ask for help. Find someone who has already done it or hire someone who has the knowledge and expertise to help you get there.

You will have noticed that everything has changed dramatically in the last year and that it seems that things are going to continue to change and evolve more rapidly than ever before.

If you find that your business and your income has reached a Plateau, look on it as an opportunity to re-invent your business, re-connect with your customers and move into a new phase of business growth, increased opportunities and success.