3 signs it’s time to change your business model

How do you really know when it’s time to change your business model? Because honestly if there was an award for Best At Ignoring Intuition, OOOOOOH BABY would it be a competitive category! It’s honestly incredible how good we are at avoiding the pull of change in business.

We get real creative, too – chalking it up to shiny object syndrome, telling ourselves we don’t work for someone else so we should “just be grateful for that,” and justifying our comfort zone because oh no we mustn’t pivot dahling, certainly not, we’ve put in faaaarrrrrr too much work to switch directions now (as if our knowledge and expertise would disappear by changing our business model?).

But alas, it’s inevitable – at some point you suddenly realize you’re in a constant feet-dragging daze, safe and content but not lit up, and continually falling back on the comforting idea that you’ll probably get your shit together someday… whatever that even means.

3 signs it’s time to change your business model:

1. You’re distracted by pretty much anything.

You catch yourself staring out the window, daydreaming about what your business would be like if you were to try something different. You keep envy-scrolling through Instagram hashtags, Googling “how to become a __,” and busying yourself with tasks and to-do lists instead of focusing on what will actually take your business to the next level.

2. Marketing feels like pulling a wagon of Kardashians up a sand dune.

AKA: It’s HARD. Content for social media, blogs, email lists – it all used to flow out of your fingertips like magic, but nowadays you feel like you’re just repeating the same old message over and over again. “This is why you should buy this thing! I sell this thing, so you can buy it from me.” And when you do finally get the motivation to post, it’s not really surprising that your engagement consists of a few likes and a bot comment – your followers are probably just as bored as you are.

3. You’re not having fun anymore.

You get annoyed instead of excited when a new inquiry or order hits your inbox because it means you’ll be spending that much more time working IN your business instead of ON your business. It’s not that your clients aren’t nice, and of course you’d rather be doing this than a 9-5, but business is starting to feel like, well… a job.

And here’s the truth:

No one is riding their swift white steed to save you. The manager isn’t going to walk by your cubicle and say “hey, you know what? We have a new opening in another department I think you’d be a great fit for.” There are no fairy godmothers coming to bibbidi-bobbidi-boo you into happiness.

It’s time to make a choice. This is the moment you discover what being the boss really means. Not just reaching milestones, but discerning when to move the goalpost. Not just about having the freedom to decide how to spend your days, but making decisions that shape your future. Not just putting in the hours, but using your time with intention. Not just crushing your to-do list, but holding space for your bigger vision.

And remember – deciding to change your business model doesn’t necessarily mean committing to an entire rebrand and business overhaul. Simply keep what’s in alignment, release the rest, and rebuild your brand upon the foundation of what you’ve already created, learned, and invested in your business.

Pivoting and changing your business model isn’t restarting. It’s refining.