It's when times get tough that entrepreneurship is really put to the test. It's also when things change that new opportunities arise. This is the view of Simon Nordberg, owner of Childrenshouse in Umeå, who has learned through experience to seize every opportunity and see opportunities before problems. As the ongoing corona pandemic paralyses large parts of society, Simon chooses to stay on the move.
- This is where we learn entrepreneurship for real. In the midst of the challenge, there are opportunities to be discovered and if you have the courage to go for it, the journey will be invaluable, whether you succeed or not," says Simon Nordberg, CEO, Childrenshouse.
It's easy to think that Simon is just an incurable optimist, but he speaks from experience and knows that it's all about self-preservation. The entrepreneurial trajectory started early with everything from buying large batches of crisps and glass toppings to becoming a franchisee, throwing himself into negotiations with corporate spongers and dealing with reorganisations, mergers and bankruptcies. Through it all it has become clear: every hand dealt is a new opportunity to learn, be challenged and grow, no matter what it is. As an entrepreneur, you have to be ready to move into uncharted territory - as prepared as you can be.
- We go through everything; customer behaviours, conversions, trends, forecasts, what's going well, what's going badly and try to figure out what we can do differently. I almost don't want to go to bed at night, I think about all the things we can learn and develop. I can't believe I get to be a part of this.
Simon, who now runs and develops the toy shop Childrenshouse in Umeå, knows that the only way to survive is to be active, adapt and find what works right now.
He is meticulously following the development of the corona crisis and is constantly trying to form an opinion of what customers, suppliers and other business people are saying and doing.
You can see that they live as they learn. Childrenshouse is accelerating the change of platform for its entire IT infrastructure, updating its brand, developing new services (such as home delivery) and putting even more effort into developing a new experience-based AR concept.
- We try to find small and large factors of success that we can then develop. It's not all doom and gloom, there are glimmers of light, you just have to see them. We have a better chance of survival if we try to do something good.
Simon keeps coming back to being active and seeing the light, especially when it's dark. He says it's all about digging where you are, testing the waters and keeping what works.
- Even when things are going badly, there is usually something in your business that works, and that's what you need to develop. Dig where you stand and find strands of profitability you can capitalise on. You have to move out of difficulties, it has never worked to just sit still. If things go wrong, I want to know I did my best. You can't let anxiety get the better of you, the worst case scenario isn't always as bad as you think. Trust your own abilities to get you through.
Simon's three tips for those experiencing a crisis or anxiety:
1. Be active. Moving is the only way to get through a crisis.
2. Refuse to let anxiety take over. The worst that can happen may not be so bad.
3. There's nothing good about being bad: if something isn't working, make a change.
Simon recommends:
Establish a prize for those who fight in the dark and refuse to give up, we should not only recognise those who succeed.
website: https://www.childrenshouse.se/