MARKET RESEARCH: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND INVESTMENT

As market researchers and keynote speakers, we often study business management and leadership trends to see what’s happening in the marketplace. To this extent, we thought we’d begin summarizing and sharing the results of some of our recent market research efforts with you, which present poignant answers to pressing leadership problems. Following, you’ll find the first of several insights and case studies we’ll be sharing as part of a new series. Stay tuned for more as we take off our keynote speakers hat for a moment and instead put on our futurist cap and take a closer look at what’s happening out there in the business world at large.

Topic: How to Make the Best of Difficult Situations

Scenario: Business leaders often face difficult scenarios – a client pulls out, projects get delayed, customer attention shifts elsewhere, we have to temporarily shut physical locations, etc. But you can’t sweat the small things or let them get you down – especially in challenging times, you have to find ways to keep paddling forward.

Insight: The most successful business leaders are relentlessly practical: Not thinking in black and white absolutes, but rather constantly looking for clever and innovative ways to make things work, or use new challenges as springboards to innovation and opportunity. By reframing the way you look at obstacles, and asking yourself some pointed questions, you may find that adversity becomes fuel for growth and advancement, and helps you win bigger in the end.

Topic: Areas of Your Business You Should be Investing in Today

Scenario: Business owners and executives naturally become more careful with where they spend their money in tough times – but the key to paving the way to future success in times like these is actually to spend money where it counts, not stop spending entirely. (Although it certainly doesn’t hurt to slash expenses.)

Insight: Money goes further to help you in times like these (thanks to increased talent pools and need, giving you more buying power), and times of slow external growth present opportunities to relook at everything from internal processes to staffing needs to your supply chain mechanics to your ad spend to your product mix, etc. and rethink where you could (a) enjoy greater efficiency (b) capture more cost savings (c) take a more effective approach (d) double down and put the resources and solutions you need to succeed tomorrow in place today. Likewise, AI and automation would be a great investment going forward.