Expose yourself, firm to new people

Call it coincidence, luck or serendipity, there is something to be said for being in the right place at the right time. Many a great business has been forged out of the discovery of an innovative product or approach which was almost accidental.

This week an excellent opportunity came along out of the completion of another project, and had the project ended a day earlier or a day later the opportunity may have passed me by.

I try as best I can to be open to whatever may be out there, but I have met a few entrepreneurs with that special gift to seize an opportunity when it arises but, more importantly, put themselves in the best position to detect and realise the opportunities as they may arise.

The best part about what I do is being able to bring a fresh pair of eyes to a business or situation and being creative to bring forth and explore new opportunities - be it in improving how business is done through process improvement to marketing strategies and bringing in new customers.

The driving force of some of the world's greatest businesses has been the creative spark created when two like-minded people connect and bring their ideas to a receptive market. The story of Richard Branson is a good example. If you read about the creation and development of the Virgin empire you will see an entrepreneur who was always open to opportunities and put himself in places where he was exposed to people who could help him to achieve his goals.

How do you stay open to opportunities? Are you open to connecting with people who can help your business to the next level? It could be that your first customer today has an idea or need which could be the breakthrough for you to bigger and better things.

The key is to not get bogged down in the day-to-day, but to take time to work on your business (rather than "in" it) and to take your business and yourself to places where both can be exposed to new people.

A common theme in my articles is the value of mentoring. My belief in this is such that it has become a core component of Zenith Solutions. We are helping several businesses realise their potential and maximise opportunities through bringing creative ideas and professional independent advice.

Often I hear from my clients "Why didn't I think of that?"

The reason is that they have become almost absorbed by the "day-to-day" and it helps to have someone confirm their thinking or suggest something new.

What makes this even better for our clients is that funding is available through NZ Trade and Enterprise to assist in establishing mentoring or training programmes.

Contact Russell at Zenith Solutions on 021-244-2421