T
he New Year has kicked off and
this is a good time to take a look at
your business and make changes
or adjustments to your business operates.
You know the saying "the definition of
insanity is doing the same thing over and
over and expecting different results" Well,
that's how a lot of businesses operate
when going into a new year. When my
wife and me ran our business we would
find a nice place to go and hide for a few
days between Christmas and New Year
and layout our business plan for the next
year.
We would look at things like:
1. Employee evaluation (Who do we
hire and who do we fire)
2. Employee payroll (Who gets raises
who does not)
3. Do we need new trucks or fix the
old ones
4. How much money do we need to
implement the changes
5. Who are our best customers and
which ones do we want to give to
our competitor
6. What additional services can we
offer to our customers
7. What new revenue streams can
we implement
You get the idea. I can't tell you how
helpful this get away time was for us.
When the New Year started we hit the
road running because we knew exactly
what we wanted to do. So far this year I
have four business owners I am working
with to help make their business success-
ful this year. Two of them are new start-
ups and we know how hard it will be for
them. We are sharing ideas so we don't
reinvent the wheel as we go.
You've heard the old saying "If you
don't know where you are going, how will
you get there?"
Too many business owners start their
business without a plan. They simply
"open their doors" for business and then
expect to succeed. I know it's hard to find
time to make a plan for the year, but I
assure you it's the most important thing
you will do this year. Simply write down a
few things you want to accomplish this
year and put them where you can look at
them every day. Here are a few things to
help you get started:
I igh ful alk
B y D a n M e s s i n a
20 Tow Professional | Volume 4 • Issue 2 | www.towprofessional.com