In uncertain times, businesses tend to make three mistakes. They lose sight of the things they can control. They lose sight of the most important numbers. And they let their pipeline dry up. The businesses that stay focused do not let that happen, and as a result, they come out of these situations much stronger. In this episode, Marco Soares cuts through the noise and gives you three practical areas to act on right now.
This Is Not a Motivational Video, It Is a Call to Action
Right now, there is a lot to juggle. Pressures are coming from multiple directions, and all you want to do is do right by your team members, your customers, and your suppliers. There are three key areas that every business owner needs to focus on when times are uncertain and tough, and this is about getting you to act on them. This is not one of those uncertain times motivational videos. This is designed to get you to focus on the things that will make your business stronger over the months to come.
1. Focus on the Controllables
You and I cannot change the government. We cannot change geopolitical issues. We cannot do anything about the economy. Any time and energy spent talking about it, thinking about it, or reading about it is time taken away from the things you can actually control, the things you can do something about.
As the leader of your business, one of your key responsibilities is to make sure that everybody is focused on the right things, driving forward together, and doing the right things at the right time. You need to role model good behaviour. Park the noise. Park the distractions. Focus on what is within your control.
Where to Direct Your Focus
Make sure you are focusing on your pricing. Make sure you are following up all of the sales opportunities coming into your business. Make sure you are looking after your people. Make sure you are connecting with your customers so that you can retain them.
One of the best sayings to live by is this: displace worry with activity.
Almost anything you are worried about, think about what you can do to try and improve it. Worried about a customer? Pick up the phone and go and talk to them. Worried about a team member? Book a one-to-one. There are so many things within your control and within your influence that can help your business be stronger and better. Focus on that, and make sure you do not get sucked into the negative spiral of everything around your business that you cannot control. For more on this, read Focus on Controllables.
2. Own Your Numbers
Businesses that are successful own the numbers. You need visibility of the daily and weekly numbers in your business. You need your finger on the pulse of the right numbers. Too many businesses report figures but do not actually do anything with those figures, and that is one of the biggest mistakes a business owner can make.
Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Numbers Each Have a Different Purpose
To effectively track and act on your data, it helps to break down your numbers by their core purpose and frequency:
| Frequency | Core Focus | Strategic Objective & Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Numbers | Activity & Accountability | Drives accountability and keeps daily activity levels (like conversion rates or lead generation) exactly where they need to be to meet broader goals. |
| Weekly Numbers | Performance Tracking | Measures ongoing performance against set benchmarks. Sets the tactical focus for the immediate week ahead and guides short-term team actions. |
| Monthly Numbers | Strategy & Analysis | Identifies long-term patterns and macro-trends. Used to make major strategic decisions impacting the next month, quarter, or year. |
Own your numbers, understand your numbers, and make sure that you and all of your key people have visibility of the right numbers at the right time, so that you drive performance, prevent issues from happening, and achieve your targets. If you want to strengthen how you track and act on your business data, Maximising the Power of Data is a great place to start.
3. Feed Your Pipeline
Feed the pipeline and the sales will come in. Too many businesses lose sight of their pipeline when times get hard. Their heads drop, they get distracted, and that is what leads to revenue issues 30, 60, or 90 days later.
Right now there is risk. Some of your customers might be looking at alternatives. Some might not be able to afford to do business with you in the same way as before. That is a real risk, and you need to be looking after those customers and doing what is necessary to retain them.
Uncertainty Creates Opportunity
The other side of that coin is that uncertainty creates opportunity. There are a whole bunch of customers sitting with your competitors right now who might be open to change. Make sure you are putting in huge amounts of activity. If you focus on driving activity levels up with the right types of customers, and you are consistent with that activity, you will build up the pipeline, and that pipeline will generate sales.
In uncertain times, it is very easy to get bogged down in negativity, to feel sorry for yourself, and to drain the energy out of your business. As the leader, your job is to make sure people are clear on the plan, clear on where they should be focusing, and clear on what needs to be done, when, and how.
Keep It Simple and Keep Moving
Focus on the controllables. Own your numbers and stay all over the right daily, weekly, and monthly figures. And feed your pipeline. Worrying about everything outside of your control is not going to help you right now. Keep focused on these three things and your business will get through whatever uncertain times you currently face.
For more practical business insight like this, explore the full Mind Your Own Business series or subscribe to the Marco Soares YouTube channel where new episodes are published regularly.
