How to Pivot Your Online Business When Things Get Stale

Do you ever start to lose the passion for the business you’ve created?

You start to get bored with what you’re doing and you wonder if there’s something else out there that would strike your fancy. But then you also worry about the business you’ve already built. Won’t it confuse clients? How can I effortlessly make a change?

This is a common entrepreneurial concern – when your heart knows it’s time to pivot but you have no idea how to make the change.

I have pivoted so much in my business that my pivots have pivots. I’m multi-passionate so I’m constantly changing my mind on what I want to focus on. I love that I’m never short on ideas but it can get distracting at times.

I have taken multiple breaks from my business because I wasn’t happy with the direction it was going. I was tired of feeling like my business was half-ass and I wanted to go ALL IN doing work that I loved. I just didn’t know what that was yet. I focused on current client work but otherwise paused marketing and lead gen in order to make a pivot.

A Few Signs That You Might Be Ready to Pivot

• You’re bored with the work you’re doing.
• Your audience’s needs have grown or changed.
• Sales are stagnant despite your efforts.
• You’re unsure how to continue growing the biz you have.

There are a million reasons why it might be time to pivot so if you’re feeling off about your business in any way, it is time to evaluate what’s going on and what isn’t serving you anymore.

Determine why you want to pivot

Now is the time to get super real with yourself.  Did something happen to trigger this or has it been weighing on your mind for a while? Maybe your clients have been wondering about other services that you haven’t offered before and you’re looking to fill that void. Knowing exactly why you want to pivot will help you pivot successfully.

Once you’ve figured out why you want to pivot, you can come up with a plan. Pivoting can be as simple as tweaking your current services to better serve you and your clients but it can also mean a total overhaul of the services you offer.

When I first started my business, I was a general/admin virtual assistant studying social media management (and eventually offered that). I have also offered systems setups, tech integration, course setups, and now I’m back offering one core LinkedIn offer and introvert visibility strategy (which is honestly one of my biggest passions).

Really digging into what I wanted to offer and also offering one core done-for-you package has been super helpful for me to pivot without burnout.

How to Pivot Your Business

Unfortunately, there’s no magic way to know if it’s the right time to pivot but I would venture to guess that if you’re questioning if it’s time, it probably is. A pivot doesn’t have to be a total upheaval. It can be a few slight changes that re-lights the spark for your business.

You might already have an idea of what you want to do next. If not, I recommend a good brainstorming session.

Brainstorm What You Love Doing

It’s totally normal for business to change and evolve as time goes on! It really helps serve your clients but also yourself in a better way.

I like to brainstorm this by writing down all of the services that I’m good at doing. Then I star the services that I like/love doing. Many people stop here but I take it a step further. I then break that list down to the service(s) that completely light me up. This is usually one or two services tops and that’s perfect because now I know what I should be focusing on.

Don’t Forget What You Don’t Love

We’ve all done work that we don’t even like doing just because the client was paying us. Or agreed to certain payment terms that we don’t necessarily align with. Ugh, it is so draining when you know you’re meant for something better but you can’t afford to let that client go yet.

It’s like when I stopped offering hourly rates and then shortly after, I found myself in a situation where I needed a client ASAP and I offered an hourly package as a compromise. Although it was a steady income, it was still a fraction of what I should have been making. No surprise that I started burning out pretty quickly.

Recognizing that and moving away from that type of work is an important step in pivoting!

How Can You Serve Your Clients Better?

As your business grows, your ideal client grows and changes, too. What they need from you now may be quite a bit different from what they first needed.

Ultimately, you need to be happy with what you’re doing but you also want to make sure your ideal client wants it, too. Sometimes an ideal client pivot needs to happen as well. Meaning, you reevaluate who you want to serve.

Not ready to let go of your clients? You might not have to.

Think about what you’d like to focus on and if it could benefit your current clients. If it can, have a conversation with them about it. Let them know what moves you’re thinking about making. Present it in a way that benefits them.

It’s OK to start fresh

Now, many people have corporate experience which they take and build a business from that. For example, corporate marketing –> marketing business. I didn’t start my business from a corporate job. I was a stay-at-home mom and before that, I had years of customer service, went to dental hygiene school, and had random office jobs. Did I learn skills throughout all of that? YES. Did I build a data entry business? NO.

I started my business as a social media manager and virtual assistant. I had NO social media management skills but I learned as I went.

My point is, it’s ok if you are starting fresh with skills that you don’t normally have. There are tons of ways to learn new skills – either by self-teaching or by taking courses (you can find some low-cost courses to get started).

It’s also OK to embrace multi-passions

When I first realized that I was multi-passionate, I tried to do all the ideas that were in my head which was a big mistake. It drained the life out of me.

And then I tried to focus on just ONE thing, one type of service to offer. I enjoyed it … for a while. But once again, I started getting that feeling that I wanted to do something different.

Turns out, embracing multi-passions is not a bad thing. If you can develop a method to the madness, you can do the things you love without burning out.

It’s going to look different for everyone. I know for me, as a mom and business owner who has ADHD and anxiety, I have to tread carefully otherwise I’m burnt out. For instance, I’m working on turning my website into a place that covers all my work in a clear and organized way. This is 100% possible – it’s just going to take some time as my work time is limited.

Take a look at your goals

Now that you’ve decided to pivot and you have an idea of what direction you’re gonna go, it’s time to set some goals.

My goal-setting process looks a bit like setting a big scary goal and then breaking it down into bite-size goals that are much more attainable.

It’s like playing Mario Bros. You don’t start the game right at the castle. You work your way through each world and gain more skills and experience which makes it easier to defeat Bowser. 😉

Market Your Biz!

Your pivot now requires a new marketing strategy so it’s time to develop a plan for getting word out. Don’t expect this to happen quickly, especially if your pivot was a complete overhaul.

It can take time for people to associate you with your new direction. Keep going and don’t get discouraged. It will catch on.

Decide what platforms you’re going to market on – maybe you’re going to try something different. I’m a big fan of repurposing content, so creating one main pillar piece (like a blog post) then breaking it down into smaller pieces of content for other platforms (kinda like how I set my goals).

Making a change in your business is scary and I’m proud of you for realizing that it’s time for a different direction. 🤍🤍