The Cheese Has Moved - Has Your Business?

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by new technology - AI tools, digital marketing platforms, CRMs, automation systems, or the endless list of “must-have” apps you’re not alone.

For many small business owners, every tech shift feels like someone just moved the cheese.

Spencer Johnson’s Who Moved My Cheese? might be more relevant today than when it was first published.

It’s not a book about business or computers but it’s a perfect metaphor for how we respond when the tools, systems, and habits we rely on suddenly stop working.

The Story, in Short

In the book, four characters live in a maze searching for “cheese,” a symbol for success or security.When the cheese disappears:

• Sniff and Scurry adapt immediately and start exploring for new cheese.

• Hem and Haw resist, deny, and hope things return to how they were.

Eventually, Haw realises that fear of the unknown is more dangerous than change itself - and he sets out to find something new. For today’s business owners, “the cheese” might be your old processes, paper systems, spreadsheets, or marketing methods that once worked but now lag behind digital competitors.

The New Cheese: AI

Whether it’s AI-driven automation, cloud accounting, CRMs, digital forms, or online client onboarding, technology is the new cheese.The question isn’t if it’s moved, but how fast you’re willing to move with it. Businesses that resist digital adoption often waste time, lose customers, and burn energy doing things manually that could be automated. Those who adapt build freedom, scale, and resilience.

Five Lessons for Business Owners

1. Stop Waiting for Things to “Go Back”

If you’re still relying on manual systems or outdated software because “it’s worked for years,” you’re already behind.Like Hem in the story, many businesses get stuck waiting for old cheese to return. It won’t.

2. Be Curious, Not Cautious

New technology doesn’t mean overhauling everything overnight. It means being curious - testing tools, experimenting, and seeing what genuinely helps your business run smarter.

3. Move Fast, Learn Faster

Adopting new systems takes time, but the biggest mistake is standing still. Implement, test, refine. I often help clients trial simple tools like automated booking links, CRM integrations, or AI-powered content planning before investing heavily.

4. Let Go of the “Old Way”

Change is uncomfortable because it threatens what we know. But once business owners see that automation frees time, improves service, and increases profit, they never look back.

5. Lead Your Team Through the Maze

If you have staff, help them adapt too. Explain the “why” behind new tech, provide short training bursts, and celebrate wins. Change sticks when the whole team sees progress.

How I Help Business Owners Adapt

As a small business coach, I work with owners who are ready to simplify, modernise, and take control of their growth.Through my Strategy Sprint and Co-Pilot Coaching programs, we:

• Review what’s outdated or holding your business back

• Identify where technology can save time or improve client experience based on data insights

• Create a clear, low-stress plan to introduce new systems that suit where you are at budget wise

• Build confidence so change feels achievable, not overwhelming

  
  

I help you bridge the gap between knowing you need new tools and actually implementing them - one step at a time.

Final Thought

Technology doesn’t replace good strategy - it simply amplifies it.The real challenge isn’t learning new software; it’s adjusting your mindset.

Just like Haw in Who Moved My Cheese?, once you take that first step, you realise the maze isn’t scary - it’s full of opportunity.

📩 Ready to modernise your business? Contact us here.