I was hired by someone this past weekend who inspired me to share his mindset because I think it could be helpful for other entrepreneurs and businesses.

His mindset?

That all of this is an opportunity to sharpen the saw. And that, from a business perspective, this opportunity may never come again, so seize it while it’s here.

Carpe diem.

This particular entrepreneur sells about $1 million of product per year on Amazon. And only on Amazon. So, right now, since his product isn’t essential, his sales on a day-to-day basis have basically fallen to… zero.

This is a big hit for any business, and especially so for a small, entrepreneurial business.

But he is using this setback as an opportunity he wouldn’t otherwise have.

When will he ever have more time to invest in building a sales model independent of Amazon again?

When will there be a better time to think about different packaging options than when he runs out of inventory?

When will he ever again have the opportunity to think about the long-term strategy of the business without the day-to-day demands of the business pulling him in a dozen directions?

This entrepreneur obviously has one capability not everyone share: The financial wherewithal to do all this, which is not something everyone has. But he’s not the only person with the ability to use down time as an opportunity to create leverage when business picks back up. And he’s has recognized the opportunity cost of not using this unique and challenging time effectively represents a much more significant cost than that of no short-term sales.

Perhaps you can’t afford to take zero sales in stride and hire someone to help you retool the business. But are there other things you can be doing to reposition yourself now, or put yourself in a stronger position in the future?

If your sales have been pummeled by the pandemic, it may be time to get creative.

• Can you enhance the perception of your brand and create goodwill by helping people that need it today?

• Are you able to use this time to talk to customers, get feedback about your products and services, ask about new products and services, or just understand their needs better?

• What are the “important” things you haven’t done because you’ve been focused on the “urgent” things that had to be done?

• Are there partnerships you’ve considered that you just haven’t had the time to pursue because of the grind of running a business?

• Have you been wanting to integrate stronger systems and processes for your marketing and sales activities, or try a new marketing tools?

I’m not naive enough to believe this advice works for everyone. These activities won’t pay the mortgage or put food on the table this week. But if you have the financial wherewithal to focus on the strategic aspect of the business, or on building better underlying systems to scale more effectively in the near future…

Carpe diem. Seize the moment.

A competitor may be doing this already. And you may never slow down enough to do it again.

If you’d like help doing this for free, with peers, and without being sold anything, feel free to join one of our small group workshops with other entrepreneurs and business owners who are leaning on each other as thought partners. You can register here: www.rayjgreen.com/workshop-schedule.

Having helped dozens of businesses and organizations pivot under a wide range of circumstances, I’ve also opened up my calendar to work with entrepreneurs and businesses that need help. I’m happy to help you think through options or just offer some outside perspective on how to adjust during this unique time, or find ways to leverage it. Feel free to book time here: drift.me/rjg.

If we can help in other ways, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

While this is a challenging time for most businesses, don’t succumb to panic or defeat. Dig deep, get creative, and ask for help.