ROADMAP TO 2019 6
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The new year is upon us. We’re probably now well into the routines of our daily lives. If you’re like me, one day simply flows into another and we keep on keeping on. Did you have big goals and dreams for 2019? Have they already fallen by the wayside or are you moving ahead steadily towards your future? Statistics tell us that at least 50% of all small businesses fail within the first 5 years. That’s a daunting thought isn’t it? Are you past that stage or are you still forming your business model? Here’s something to think about… as many have heard me say over the years, you might make the best widget in the world but be horrible at running a business because you don’t know that side of things. If that’s the case, you have a choice. You can either strive to learn and become great at management and leadership or you’re truly better off doing what you do best: making the widget and letting someone else manage.
G LO B A L V O I C E MAG A Z I N E
If you decide you truly want to learn and become that successful business owner, one of the first things you need to do is to create a plan for what is going to happen ahead. I remember when I was a kid my parents would take us on a vacation every summer. They never would have said “Come on kids, we’re going on a trip” without knowing exactly where we were going and how to get there (and back). They had a plan. First, they decided where we were going and then they went to their insurance agency who provided them with a roadmap – a book of maps with roads drawn out for the best ways to get to Point B from Point A. There were directions for side trips, places to stay the night, good restaurants to eat at and all kinds of things we might want along the way. It was the ONLY way we would go on vacation and my husband and I still do similar things (via Google Maps) these days. The reason for this story is to tell you that running and growing a business are very similar to taking a trip. You definitely don’t want to just “go with it”. Although, unfortunately, many owners do exactly that. They get so involved in the day-to-day work of the company that they don’t take time to create a roadmap for getting to the end of their trip. What is needed in that map? What do you want to do and who are the people you want to work with? What is your goal?
