So, the recession is over. Feeling better? If your business is not yet growing and if sales are still shrinking, you may need to change the way you manage your business. For those who seek out and find the profit-building strategies that work in any economy, not just a prosperous one, success is almost guaranteed.

Not everyone’s business has slowed in this economy. Many grew their profits by 50 to 100 percent or more last year, and you can do the same. If you’re a solution seeker instead of an excuse maker, here are two simple steps you can take to keep your business on track and make next year your most profitable:

1. Stay Confident
The biggest mistake you can make is to lose confidence in your products and your services.
Starting to doubt your unique competitive advantage and your ability to improve your marketing could kill your business. You will lose the race before it starts.

Like an animal smells fear, your customers will notice your hesitancy and they may buy from a competitor who appears confident of success. You could potentially lose even more business.

2. Focus on Your Valuable Formula
Obviously you are doing business in a very different economic climate than you were a few years or even a few months ago. The strategies that may have helped you stay afloat in the past may not work today.

To succeed in this economy, your business needs to be more focused and specialized. Big companies who sell a bit of everything might close their doors, but we see this happening to small businesses as well. Generally, companies that try to provide too many products or services are struggling. Their prospects can’t figure out at what they excel.

On the other hand, businesses that target a specific service or product are holding their own. We are hearing that business is steady and, in some cases, growing! Learn more about how to identify your valuable formula and the other key elements to surviving in recessions.