Lightning streaks across the black sky as you pass through the rusted front gate of Profit Leak Manor. The mansion before you is dark and ominous, but you believe it holds answers you need. Your friends warned you away: some things, they say, are better left unknown.

I’ve been a big fan of remote offices for a long time: most of our team has been remote for the past five years, and this past July we finally gave up our office space altogether and never looked back. But until this year, many people thought our remote-office structure was well, kind of nuts.

Your business is your neighborhood. And one element of a beautiful day in your business is a positive workplace culture. When employees feel satisfied with their jobs it can increase effectiveness and productivity. But if most of the days in your neighborhood are less than beautiful, then it’s costing you money. We call that a “profit leak.”

In her latest book, More Myself, Alicia Keys shares her journey towards authentic self-expression. Full of uplifting insights on life’s journey, considering the context of today’s pandemic, this quote struck me as particularly powerful…

Every day, individuals, families, and businesses are supported by people whose roles are critical to our everyday lives, but most of us don’t spare much thought to them. When you turn on the faucet and there is no water, who do you call? Oddly enough, there are times when a business needs these support services like a plumber.

According to Dictionary.com, Plan B is a strategy or plan to be implemented if the original one proves impracticable or unsuccessful. It’s the backup plan or the fallback plan or the contingency plan. Having a Plan B, whether starting a business or rebuilding after COVID 19, may seem like a smart move, but in actuality, it is an acknowledgment that your business — Plan A — may not have the full range of resources and attention it needs to succeed.

Are you facing more competition or declining profits? Is your business not growing the way you expected? Do you know what you are going to do about it? Just worrying about your business and hoping things will get better on their own won’t change anything. Hope is not a strategy. The reality is that if you want to improve or grow your business, you must take steps to make it happen.

It is no secret that starting a business is an overwhelming endeavor especially when you are a woman. Fortunately, one of the most successful tech entrepreneur’s, Dame Stephanie Shirley, did not let this stop her. For her it is not a man or a woman’s world, it’s simply a world of opportunity.