Why Every Entrepreneur Needs a Plan for Inauguration Day

Jan 10, 2025 10:30 PM - 1 week ago 12573

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

With Election Day successful our rearview mirrors and Inauguration Day astir the corner, nary matter wherever you beryllium successful the world, I deliberation we tin each work together that the showdown betwixt Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, short though it was, ranks up location pinch 1 of the astir divisive successful U.S. history.

And, mind you, Americans are nary strangers to divisive elections. When incumbent John Adams ran against (and mislaid to) Thomas Jefferson successful 1800, they whitethorn not person resorted to the coarse language Harris and Trump utilized against the other, but things sewage contentious nevertheless pinch accusations, fierce rhetoric, and aggregate individual attacks that came from some sides.

Subsequent elections betwixt Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden successful 1876 on pinch the ones betwixt George W. Bush and Al Gore successful 2000 and 2016's Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump showdowns, continued the contented of contentious elections.

But for the American people, this wasn't conscionable a conflict betwixt the 2 candidates moving for the presidency; it was overmuch of a humor thirst arsenic the rivalries betwixt favored football, basketball, lucky and shot teams.

Whether it was the media inciting rage and divisiveness aliases the candidates and their parties themselves driving things, the American group are accustomed to joining their preferred campaigner connected the battlefields of societal media and volunteering for in-person debates.

And this isn't hyperbole erstwhile I mention to really American voters show their support. I often liken the roadworthy to populist to an African proverb: "When elephants fight, it is the writer that suffers." In different words, the collateral harm for the voters duking it retired is extended (fractured relationships, changeless strife and stress, etc.).

But, arsenic Americans are truthful fond of saying, "Go large aliases spell home!" This tin use to sports and politics!

Approximately 153 cardinal voters formed their ballots (by message aliases astatine the ballots), pinch erstwhile President Donald Trump tipping the scales.

Indeed, things had been contentious erstwhile incumbent president Joe Biden was moving against erstwhile president Donald Trump. However, erstwhile Kamala Harris threw her chapeau successful the ringing successful mid-July to switch President Biden connected the Democratic ticket, things quickly went from bad to ugly.

With little than 2 weeks until Donald Trump is sworn successful arsenic the U.S.'s 47th president, overmuch of the federation is still successful mourning, while astir 77 cardinal voters proceed to gloat. However, for small business owners, you person to effort and spot things otherwise from the governmental play of the hot-button issues. Whether your chosen campaigner won aliases didn't, it's an opportunity to analyse really policies will displacement and what this could mean for the wellness of your business.

Ten days anterior to the election, I wrote astir how mini businesses should vote. I encouraged mini to mean businesses (SMBs) to see not conscionable really each candidate's run promises affected them connected a individual level, but I advocated for voting based connected strategy complete sentiment — a instruction that's important now arsenic we look up to caller regulations, economical policies, and healthcare priorities.

Related: Why Donald Trump's Business-First Policies Trump Harris' Consumer-Centric Approach

The large picture: readying for business, not politics

As the U.S. moves forward, the easy point to do is to get wrapped up successful the headlines. But remember, headlines are meant to incite and divide. And thing the headlines person to opportunity will bespeak what must spell done the minds of each SMB owner.

It whitethorn beryllium difficult to retrieve that your business priorities don't alteration pinch each caller administration. For mini business owners, voting should ever beryllium astir strategy, not a knee-jerk guidance to really you consciousness astir the x, y aliases z hot-button issue.

This is peculiarly existent erstwhile policies that could find really efficaciously you tin respond to marketplace conditions, your expertise to pull talent, and supply competitory benefits are astatine stake. As I show my clients each the time, inauguration Day isn't astir statement allegiance; it's astir building a resilient business tin of weathering argumentation changes, economical fluctuations, and industry-specific challenges.

Lessons from the field: resilience successful action

Prior to becoming a strategic advisor to Fortune 100 companies and galore SMBs, I worked successful high-level advisory roles successful antiauthoritarian development, strategical readying and conflict solution successful Iraq, Jordan and Indonesia.

As Governance Director successful Iraq during the 2nd Gulf War, I advised governmental leaders and committees connected creating sustainable governance strategies. As a Political Advisor successful Jordan, I provided guidance connected connection development, media relations, and strengthening antiauthoritarian institutions. As CEO of WealthFunds SPC successful Indonesia, I led plus management, expanded world partnerships, and drove strategical initiatives.

These experiences successful politically delicate and transformative environments shaped my Optimize the Moment framework, emphasizing resilience and strategical action successful analyzable situations.

The rule of Optimize the Moment, which I item successful my book, From War Zones to Boardrooms: Optimize the Moment When Strategic Planning Fails, stems not from governmental divides but from existent experiences successful conflict and post-conflict zones astir the world. Whether successful Jordan, Iraq, Ukraine aliases Indonesia, I've seen the profound resilience of group agreed by purpose, not ideology, aliases successful this case, politics.

I raise this because, successful each instances, I worked pinch group pursuing the worst days of their lives. Loss of limbs, homes, communities and family members. Despite these unthinkable losses, 1 point that everyone I worked pinch had successful communal was that they didn't fto thing guidelines successful the measurement of rebuilding their state and communities.

It didn't matter which broadside of the conflict they were on. Not only did they show up each time for the communal bully of the community, but successful their condolences and anger, they inspired others to do the same. They saw the necessity of moving forward, nary matter what their feelings were during the conflicts.

Related: The 2024 Election Will Determine How AI Impacts Your Business. Here's What Entrepreneurs Must Do to Prepare.

Shiney shoes for the win!

In Jordan, I had an acquisition that profoundly illustrated the powerfulness of unity amidst hardship and differences successful thoughts and beliefs. My workfellow scheduled an early greeting meeting… connected a Saturday, nary less. I couldn't person imagined much than a fistful showing up, but I was amazed to find a group of retired veterans waiting.

Inside were astir 50 retired subject veterans. Everyone was punctual and brimming pinch enthusiasm, and I observed thing very cool that agreed them. All of them wore shoes pinch a precocious shine!

As we discussed the task and shared ideas, their thrust was evident. Their motivation was boundless. Their nationwide connections became invaluable. This group, pinch their zeal and clip astatine hand, was cleanable for the task. Their willingness to thief without expecting immoderate financial gains made the full acquisition remarkable.

And yes, astatine each consequent meeting, each wore their aged subject shoes, polished to a precocious shine, a believe they had maintained arsenic a awesome of dignity and resilience, moreover aft leaving service. These veterans had mislaid astir everything — family, friends, stableness — owed to the region's ongoing conflicts. Yet, they showed up, shoes gleaming, arsenic a connection of their committedness to thing larger than themselves.

Upon completing our project, these veterans gave maine a ringing arsenic a gift. They told me, 'Whenever you're successful Jordan, deterioration this.' I expressed my gratitude, but my workfellow clarified its significance.

'That ring,' he said, 'is much than conscionable jewelry here.' True to his words, whenever I approached a checkpoint aliases interacted pinch authorities, a glimpse of that ringing would guarantee my passage. Once again, I was profoundly humbled. It continues to punctual maine that we each tin merge astir differences for the greater good.

Related: 'I Have a Better Instinct': Donald Trump Says He Doesn't 'See' Replacing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell

The messy yet powerful quality of democracy

During my deployment to Ukraine during the Orange Revolution, I watched arsenic women voted for the first time, exercising their sound successful a caller strategy that was besides turbulent and afloat of promise.

Does this punctual you of the first clip you were eligible to vote? Can you callback the discussions you sewage into arsenic a caller elector and now? I retrieve listening to each sides truthful I could make an informed decision. I loved the diverseness of thought and was little willing successful uniformity. Uniformity is awesome for group who request echo chambers, but it doesn't move populist forward, and it surely doesn't move your business forward.

Anecdotes specified arsenic the 1 successful Jordan are ones I usage successful my believe erstwhile advising clients, peculiarly erstwhile they definitive concerns astir which guidance to move some during their day-to-day operations, but peculiarly during a crisis.

As a business owner, viewing Inauguration Day done this lens allows you to embrace change, hole for shifts, and spot each situation arsenic an opportunity.

I marvel astatine times erstwhile I perceive the connection bipartisan. If group who came from different ideological and governmental beliefs could merge astir their shared imagination of moving populist forward, I person to judge we arsenic group tin do the same. I person to judge that mini business owners tin animate their squad members, stakeholders and customers to merge for the communal bully of seeing the institution turn and proceed providing services and products.

As we attack Inauguration Day and the adjacent 4 years, I promote entrepreneurs to retrieve that their domiciled is not conscionable arsenic individuals whose campaigner either won aliases didn't but arsenic SMB owners pinch an oculus connected success. The media lives to disagreement us, but your expertise to spot past the sound of the time will effect not only your business but besides your employees, customers, stakeholders and organization members who trust connected you.