The Secret to Making Business Decisions

The speed at which marketing strategies, technology, and social media change the business landscape has never been seen before. Social media alone can make your head spin — from YouTube to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. Now there are Reels, YouTube Shorts, and more.

So-called “experts” have created a massive industry of selling the latest snake oil cure-all for your social media woes. So how do small businesses determine what is right for them?

You may find yourself asking:

• “Do I add embroidery to my business?”
• “Should I lower my price to win that order?”
• “What project should I tackle today?”

As business owners, we need to stay true to our values. This goes for all the decisions that a small business owner is faced with in a typical day, not just social media. The information we have at our fingertips today is incredible, and most of it is accessible from a 3″ X 5″ computer we carry around in our pockets.

The challenge: Because of all that information, the name of the game now is stealing people’s attention and getting them to chase the latest shiny object. We can’t go to the gym or log onto Instagram without seeing some “expert” adding their two cents. Countless messages are telling us what we should drop or pursue. How do you discern what will work for your company from what only worked for someone else’s specific situation?

What will work for your business?

For every successful strategy, you can find the opposite success strategy. Colonel Sanders started at 65, but Mark Zuckerberg started at 19. Lush totally avoids social media, but Dollar Shave Club swears by it. Basecamp is hardcore about the flexibility of their workers, yet Apple and Google want everyone back in the office. Nike almost ignores team members, but Zappos created a book and culture with every employee’s opinion. So how do you know what will work for you?

Our values, missions, and motivations hold the answer to every question. Through this, you can quickly figure out what shiny objects are just lures and what tactic will be right for your business. If it fits or serves your mission/reason/purpose — do it!

But this is what gets most people: Have you defined your core values and mission? We often fall into this business, but it is never too late to get clarity and define your mission and values. Get clear on what is important to you and why — I’m a big fan of Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why.” Regardless of the size or type of business, you will struggle without a strong, clearly defined reason.