I was working with a coaching client recently who’d spotted an amazing opportunity to pivot her business slightly. Not a full rebrand – just a small shift in focus to target a specific group of women she hadn’t previously considered. She literally needed to tweak some words on her website and swap her freebie for something slightly different.
But she was terrified. She felt like all her previous work had been wasted. Like she’d be betraying herself if she changed direction.
Sound familiar?
You Can Turn On A Sixpence
Here’s what I told her. Unlike a big corporate company that needs five-year plans, board meetings, and a team of lawyers before they can change a single word on their website – YOU can change direction in an afternoon. You can update your Instagram bio, rewrite your website homepage, create a new freebie in Canva, and email your list about your new direction – all before dinner.
I call it the London Cabbie approach. Those iconic black cabs can spin around in a tiny turning circle – they can literally turn on a sixpence. And that’s exactly what your small business can do. When you hit a metaphorical traffic jam or dead end, you don’t need to do a complicated three-point turn. You just spin around and go a different way.
Your Size Is Your Superpower
Being small means you’re agile. You can spot a trend on TikTok and jump on it that day. You can test a new offer with your email list this week. You can pivot your messaging on LinkedIn overnight. Big companies would need months of meetings and approvals to do what you can do in an afternoon.
Stop seeing your small size as a disadvantage. It’s your biggest competitive edge.
Nothing Is Wasted
Here’s the thing my client needed to hear (and maybe you do too): changing direction doesn’t mean your previous work was wasted. Everything you’ve built so far – your skills, your experience, your audience, your reputation – comes with you. You’re not starting from scratch. You’re building on everything you’ve already done.
The only thing that’s wasted is time spent doing something that isn’t working, just because you’re too scared to admit it needs to change.
So if something in your business isn’t working – your offer, your audience, your messaging – give yourself permission to change it. Today. You’re a London cab, remember. You can turn on a sixpence. Use it.