5 Tips To Help With Tough Decisions

Difficult decisions are part of every business owner's daily life, which is why, every so often, it's important to consider your decision-making process. Is it working for you? Have you had a challenging situation where you found yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place?

September 27, 2017 | Retail

By: Sarah C.

Sarah C. joined Acuity in 2015 with a background in retail. She studied Interior Architecture in college and completed an online business education program through Harvard Business School. She also has a wide range of commercial insurance experience and has earned her Associate in General Insurance (AINS), Associate in Insurance Services (AIS), and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designations. This made her the perfect addition to the Acuity Mercantile team. If she could travel anywhere in the world, she would return to Italy. She spent three weeks there during college studying architecture and design and has wanted to go back ever since.

Consider your personality. Would your friends or family say you are relaxed? Or do you contemplate details more than others? Knowing this about yourself can help you compensate, so you don't end up at either extreme. Forgive yourself either way, because it takes all kinds of people to make our communities and businesses work.
Do you prefer to figure things out on your own? Or do you like to talk to others to get opinions and ideas? Either is fine, but if you know you have a tendency toward one and you are stuck, try the other. Maybe you can come up with a different perspective if you try a different approach.
You never want to feel isolated, because feeling isolated can make a stressful situation worse. So, think about your resources. Seeking customer feedback in certain situations can make sense. For example, if you are struggling with a wall color decision, consider asking a few customers during a slow period. Remember, you also have peers in your community who find themselves in the same situation, so you could help one another.
If you are struggling with a personnel decision, it may be hard to be objective, especially if you employ friends or family members. Setting aside emotion and rationally focusing on what is best for the business will help keep you grounded.
Detailed financial or operational problems can lead to feeling hopeless, but don’t forget there are a number of resources that you can turn to for free help, including local associations, chambers of commerce, and economic development agencies to name a few. With old news and questionable sources, searching online for help can be daunting.