— Do you know why — or if — you matter to your customers? When you ask, be prepared to be surprised — and it might not be pleasant.

— Do you assume that people will stop buying when times are tough? That assumption can be fatal because it leads to lethargy and inaction at a time when you should be working harder than ever.

Untuned radar: Unawareness of behaviors that offend and upset those around you, including failure to listen to credible feedback, personal insecurities, condescension, foul language and lack of genuine interest in others.

Here are some simple steps to help you find your blind spots and resolve them:

1. Acknowledge that you might not be seeing what's going on clearly.

2. Invite a few trusted business professionals to serve on a board of advisors with you. Meet with them at least quarterly and share all the details (good and bad) about your business. Then ask them to be frank in assessing your blind spots and helping you address them in the future.

3. Keep score. Track what is happening with your business. If your business isn't growing, something's wrong. Don't blame it on the economy. Dig deeply among customers, competitors, your co-workers, industry groups, etc. until you find the blind spots that are causing clients to choose other options.

4. Identify a key blind spot and make a goal to do something to resolve it in the immediate future. Blind spots, when discovered and addressed, are a key to thriving in any market condition. Unleash your personal power and the full potential of your business by discovering your blind spots and illuminating them by aiming your spotlight right at them.

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Andy Barfuss is affiliated with the BYU Center for Entrepreneurship. He can be reached via e-mail at cfe@byu.edu.