Every business hits a wall. Sales stall, customer needs shift, and operations get clunky. The worst thing you can do is ignore it. The best thing? Pivot—intentionally.
Here’s how.
P – Pinpoint the Problem
Don’t guess. Look at:
- Declining revenue
- Missed targets
- Internal bottlenecks
Use three lenses:
- Internal Operations: Are your systems outdated? Team misaligned?
- Customer Needs: Have expectations changed? What are they complaining about?
- Market Shifts: New competitors? Trends you missed?
Run a workflow audit, collect customer feedback, and analyze your place in the market. Then write it down:
“The problem is [X], driven by [Y]. Here’s our next step.”
I – Investigate Key Areas
Focus on three zones:
- Target Market: Are you still serving the right people?
- Revenue Streams: What’s profitable? What’s dragging you down?
- Operations: What’s wasting time or money?
Use tools like:
- SWOT analysis
- Google Analytics
- Customer interviews
- Cost audits
Assign each area to someone on your team. Pull the findings into one report. Then act on the top priorities.
V – Visualize New Goals
Forget vague plans. Get specific using SMART or FAST frameworks:
SMART Goals:
- Specific: “Grow email sales by 20%.”
- Measurable: “Track clicks and conversions.”
- Achievable: “Using our current tools.”
- Relevant: “Supports our off-season push.”
- Time-bound: “By the end of Q2.”
FAST Goals:
- Frequent: Review progress weekly.
- Ambitious: Push the limits a bit.
- Specific: “Launch two new packages by Feb 15.”
- Transparent: Share goals with your whole team.
Let the short-term goals solve today’s pain. Let the long-term goals shape your future.
O – Optimize for Change
Here’s the key: don’t go all-in yet. Start small.
- Test: Pilot a new offer, A/B test a price, tweak your website.
- Track: Use KPIs like revenue per customer or bounce rates.
- Tweak: Review what worked, what flopped—and adjust.
Then scale.
Use tools like:
- Google Analytics
- Survey feedback
- CRM dashboards
- Project management tools (Trello, Asana)
T – Transform Continuously
You don’t pivot once. You pivot as needed.
- Keep listening to your team.
- Keep watching your data.
- Keep checking if your work still aligns with your goals.
Your job is to stay flexible, not perfect. The businesses that adapt fastest survive longest.
Let’s Talk
If you’re a business owner trying to navigate change, this framework is for you.
I teach this to entrepreneurs, teams, and organizations that are ready to rethink what’s not working.
Let’s figure out your next move.
