A reader asked me a great question earlier. She wanted to know why she isn’t making the changes her business needs, even though she is, as she put it; slowly losing her business.

Here’s part of the advice I gave her. I want to share it with you, in case someone you know needs to hear it:

“Start by accepting just how urgent your situation is. A failing business is unsustainable. The time to act is now… today. What stops most people doing what’s required, is that it means making a big, scary commitment. It means stopping your current strategy, which put you in this situation. It means letting go of the failing familiar.”

The hardest part of turning a business around is making that initial commitment, to let go of the failing familiar. After that, your mindset shifts. You start looking for answers, rather than hoping things will somehow, just improve.

Whilst hope is absolutely essential, it isn’t a business strategy.

Tip: Here’s a heartbreaking email, which every small business owner needs to read.