When I was a small child, Thursday was my favourite day of the week. It was pocket money day. Every week I had the same routine. I would take my 1 shilling and threepence (it really was a long time ago) and go to the sweet shop with my Mum to spend it.
The sweet shop was the Valhalla of sugary possibilities. Every possible sweet I could think of was there. And I had the cash to choose. Hey.
My candy cash flow
So, I would set on designing my best possible combination of sweets for that week. Each week was different. Sometimes I would be in a toffee mood, sometimes more of a flying saucer mood and occasionally I would forget that I didn’t like the liquorice in sherbets dips and ask for one of those too. It was all about getting the right mix of stickiness, gooeyness, crunch and fizz.
The sweet shop dilemma
It was a careful process and one, which according to my Mum regularly took half an hour. She dubbed it my ‘sweet shop dilemma’.
From the outside, it looked like I couldn’t make a choice. But on the inside I was revelling in the process. And when I finally handed over my money and had my sweets in my hand I was completely satisfied with what I had chosen.
Later, of course, I realised that taking half an hour over a decision about sweets, wasn’t the most cost-effective use of my time. But half an hour of sweet shop heaven was a wonderful thing when I was 5.
The sweet shop in your inbox
When I look at my email inbox, I see the same thing happening as back then in the sweet shop. All day long, it gets filled up with crunchy, fizzy, sticky, gooey things, a lot of which looks really good.
But I no longer have a once-a-week only, 30-minute choice slot like I used to have at The Candy Box.
Now the sweets just keep on coming, all day and all night.
We have a constant sweet shop dilemma going on.
How on earth do you decide which sweet you’re going to choose next for your business?
One thing is for sure, if you keep waiting until the perfect thing comes along, it will be like Tinder. Swipe left. The grass is always greener.
And if you just choose any old thing, because you’re tired of not choosing, who knows what you’ll get?!
So, you need a strategy for making your next investment the best choice for YOUR business.
Investment choices for your business
There are lots of coaches out there who will suggest that you shouldn’t be afraid of spending more than you think you can afford. That spending money will stretch your perspective. And there is definitely something to that argument. But you still need to take your budget into account.
Then there’s the profit first principle, of making sure you make a profit on everything you earn. Which could lead to not investing enough for your business to grow. Sometimes, you need to invest to make leaps in your business.
No one business is the same
I think the truth is somewhere in between. Sometimes you have financial back-up to absorb possible shocks (savings, buffer, other income) and sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you have very low costs and sometimes you don’t. Some people can sleep soundly at night, trusting that they will be able to pay their mortgage in a week’s time, others will be crying into their cocoa at the very idea.
Don’t want to get in over your head?
People can get so worried about getting in over their heads financially, that they stay away from even talking to people who could help them uplevel their business. And that’s a shame. Because investment is how we progress. Whether it’s investment in time, money, energy, tears….
But you’re right to ask the question what an investment will bring you.
Wondering about improving your English?
I guess you’re reading this because you think you need to improve your English for your business. And you might be wondering how to do that? And who to go to? And if you really need to invest in it? Now or later?
Here’s the thing. Because you haven’t taken that step yet, you can’t answer those questions.
So, you will keep going in circles trying to work it out. Until you take a decision (swipe left? swipe right?) and maybe it’s right and maybe it isn’t. Or until you get some expert advice.
Find out how to choose
Why not try something different? Get some expert advice before you decide to invest. Schedule a call, tell me about you, your company, your dreams and the things that worry you. I’ll ask you the right questions to help you decide.
If I think you can do this without any support, I’ll tell you. And if I think you need support or have a blind spot, I’ll let you know that too. And if I think you shouldn’t go international yet, I’ll tell you that too, because I’d hate to see you waste money on something you’re not ready for yet.
This could actually save you money!
So, take 30 minutes to get a picture of where you are and what your next step could be.
I promise I’ll be kind. You’ll come away feeling listened to and understood.
Decision to invest comes later
Is it worth 30 minutes of your time to get expert advice on going international with your business? To be asked the right questions?
If so, book one of the 5 complimentary calls I offer every month here. I’m looking forward to hearing about your plans!
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