New Year, New Opportunities

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one.” —Mark Twain

What better time than the start of a new year to take a thorough look at your business and identify the changes and goals you would like to see by this time next year.

To get started, set aside the time to not only evaluate your business but also to identify and plan for what needs to be done for you to reach those goals. Ask yourself if you are treating your business AS a business and if not, why not. Are you willing to do the work in order to create a successful business? If you have the ability to create amazing spaces for your clients that offer the solutions for which they had hoped with the feeling and look they had envisioned, then you are definitely capable of transferring that creativity and problem solving to your business. You just may need to adjust your mindset and approach your business the way you would the design for a client. When working with a client you discuss what is and is not working for them in their present home/space and clarify their goals in order to reach a successful outcome. It is no different for your business.

First identify in writing the vision for your business – what is your vision for the business in 3 years? To quote the professional baseball player Yogi Berra, , “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” So make sure you formulate your vision so you know where your business is headed.

Then identify 12 month goals for your business that will lead you toward that 3-year vision. Next, to make those goals more easily achievable, identify 3 (90-day) goals that will lead you toward reaching the 12 month goals. List the internal strengths of your business as well as the weaknesses. Now list the external opportunities and threats to your business.

These steps will help you start to organize the roadmap for your business, but there is another important question to ask yourself. How important is it to be able to successfully manage the cash flow in your business in order to achieve that vision and those goals? The AMEX stat shows that only 40% of ALL companies are profitable – and you definitely want to be part of that 40%!

Interior Designers talk about the importance and value provided to clients who hire a professional – how designers can often save them money as well as helping them create their vision. Don’t forget that the same can apply to your business. Don’t try to do it all on your own – reach out to others who can help you achieve your goals and become one of the 40%!

“Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.” —Alan Cohen