5 Signs Your Startup Needs a Change in Direction

Struggling to kickstart your small business but not sure where you’re going wrong? It might be time to consider a business pivot. Switching up a few elements of your business plan to accommodate new and fresh techniques can revitalise your company and give you the confidence you need to keep pushing. At RODA, we can help you refocus and guide you with technology and strategic decisions that free up your time, sharpen your direction, and ultimately drive measurable results. Below, we outline five signs that indicate your business might benefit from a change in direction, along with how we’re able to help.

You Frequently Change Your Messaging or Branding

Consistency is key when establishing a brand, yet the digital space can feel overwhelming. It’s tempting to keep tweaking your slogan, website, or messaging, but frequent changes only confuse customers and dilute your identity. At RODA, we help you define what truly sets your brand apart and guide you toward the right systems and brand strategy to save time and scale effectively. By handling the heavy lifting of strategy and technology, we free you to focus your energy and creativity where it matters most.

You’re Getting Visitors, But Not Retaining Them

Gaining social buzz is one thing, but keeping customers coming back can seem like an impossible task, especially at the start of your startup journey. If you can’t seem to retain consistent customers, it could be for a number of reasons—maybe the user experience on your website is complicated or there is some disconnect between product and marketing. We make this process easier by helping you dig out the answers, using tools like analytics, market research, A/B testing, and clear customer retention strategy to pinpoint what needs to change and strengthen loyalty.

Your ‘How’ Feels Disconnected from Your ‘Why’

Are you passionate about your small business but feel like your business model doesn’t reflect it? This is easy to gloss over and pay little attention to, but it can be an extremely telling sign that your business needs a change in direction. It might be that you’re constantly offering discounts or promo codes to generate higher sales, or that the route to monetization for your products doesn’t seem clear. We start with clients by deciphering brand and vision before identifying the most effective growth pathways and startup strategies to propel your business forward.

Your Metrics Are Inconsistent

Having spikes of business success followed by periods of low sales indicates an underlying instability within your business model. This could be related to your products or services themselves, or perhaps your target audience needs re-evaluating. This isn’t unusual; as your brand evolves, so does your scope for marketing towards different groups of people. However, instability within your metrics can lead to a more chaotic and harder-to-manage business model. At RODA, we analyse the numbers and design a simpler solution—we use lean, self-managed e-commerce platforms like Shopify that let you view and organise inventory and sales in one place.

The Feedback Is Positive, but Sales Are Still Low

As a startup, you rely heavily on positive reviews to kickstart sales. But when feedback is consistently strong and sales don’t follow, it can feel discouraging and hard to diagnose. This often signals a need to rethink your direction—perhaps you’re targeting the wrong market or offering something that feels more ‘nice-to-have’ than ‘need-to-have.’ When this happens, we work with you to reassess market fit and marketing approach, drawing on techniques like customer journey analysis, conversion funnel audits, A/B testing, and competitor benchmarking to pinpoint gaps and design actionable strategies that put sales back on track.

There are always solutions when your business model stops delivering the results you expect. Remember, a change in direction is a sign of growth—not failure. RODA helps you clarify your ideas and develop fresh startup strategies and perspectives that save time, unlock opportunities, and drive measurable results.