If I called you up and said let’s go out for a cup of coffee and talk about what is working and not working in your business, you would probably think that would be a good idea. Get out of the office, clear your head, and start free associating.

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. When you go on vacation, when do you usually start feeling clear heading and rested? I bet it’s not in the car on the way to the airport, or on the plane, or in that uncomfortable hotel bed on the first night.

No, it usually takes a few days to start to unwind.

You probably can’t take a vacation every time you need to get a perspective on your business. So in the next few posts I am going to introduce a few techniques that will help you get there.

Stay tuned.

A business turnaround is looking at your business from a different perspective.

Something looking at your business from the outside looking in. Too often the business owner is so immersed in the day-to-day problems that they rarely have a chance to distance themselves far enough to ask objective questions.

For example: Are you really making money?; Do you have a good handle on your cost of goods sold?; Are you running the company in its most efficient form?.

The Economy

With the economy in the doldrums the natural inclination is to feel sad, or cheated, or angry. The fact is that the economy has always oscillated between recession and prosperity. About every seven to ten years a new cycle starts. If you want to be like King Canute and yell at the tides to try and hold them back, then you are destined to live in denial about your business.

There is no better time than during a recession to start working on your business turnaround. Business tends to be at a low point, you get to see what everyone is working on without the mad rush and, best of all, you get a chance for a new perspective.