Keep On The Lookout For Opportunities

According to the Collins Dictionary, the phrase "keep on the lookout" is defined as; "If you are keeping a lookout for something, or are on the lookout for it, you are alert and careful about it, either because you do not want to miss it or because it will be unpleasant or harmful and you need to avoid it." Naturally, an expression like this is two-fold. First, being on the lookout for good opportunities that you don't want to miss, but also cautionary in that you'd want to avoid anything that could be harmful. Although both viewpoints are relevant and critical to being successful in business, let's focus on the positive aspect of keeping on the "lookout".

O.P.P.S.

Evidently, you can create your own acronym as long as it makes sense - so here goes; OPPS. Just a little inspiration that may yield some big results, but only if you're on the lookout for golden "opportunities."

O: Outside

We are often so busy going about our day-to-day activities, routines, and protocols, that we don't look outside of these paradigms to see what we might be missing. What is our competition doing, what are other companies doing, what could we do to monetize an idea, or capitalize on a local event or happening?

P: Possibilities

We've heard it said that; you don't know unless you ask. So instead of assuming that you can't do something, have you thought of other possibilities? Great examples of this are Walt Disney and Jack Canfield who were both turned down by several lenders and publishers until ONE of them said Yes! Are there any other options you haven't considered yet? Anyone else you could ask? Anyone who knows of anyone you could ask?

P: Potential

Sometimes we have our blinders on and don't see the potential to expand a product or service, territory or region, a policy or philosophy. Stepping back can help, eliciting help from others can help, but also taking stock of our current assets, intellectual property, and any skill sets we already have at our disposal. This will boost our confidence when venturing into the unknown and developing any existing potential.

S: Serendipity

According to Lexico, the definition of serendipity is "The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way." There are many explanations for these types of occurrences, but suffice it is to say that where focus goes, energy flows. So if you're putting out good energy, then good things might just come back around. So keep an eye out for serendipitous events because they can strike when you least expect it.

If you need help exploring new opportunities, or refining the ones you know could yield more results, perhaps our extensive list of virtual support services could help. We are just a phone call away!

"Nothing is more expensive than

a missed opportunity"

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Sources: Shopify/Forbes