As I write this there are just 23 days left in 2011 so now is a good time to reflect on the year. What a year it has been. The news has been dominated by doom and gloom and the future doesn’t promise anything much brighter. It would be easy to pull up the duvet and hide for the next decade but I know you, dear reader, are made of stronger stuff! You are not going to let all the negativity get you down.
We keep hearing that the economy has shrunk/ is shrinking but the percentage points are tiny. I’m not an economist and I may be naive but if the economy has shrunk by 0.3% that surely means that it has retained 99.7% of its value. In my book that means that there is still business to be done. We’ll just have to work a bit harder and a lot smarter to get our share. So before you start planning next year in any detail take some time to identify what your successes have been this year.
If you keep a success diary (and you should) this job will be easy. If you don’t here are a few questions to help:
- Which products or services have sold well?
- Which marketing campaigns have produced the best results?
- Where has the most profit come from?
- Which relationships have been particularly valuable?
- What objectives have you achieved?
- What have been the pleasant surprises?
- What difficulties have you overcome?
- Who have you helped to achieve their goals?
- What do you now know that you didn’t know at the start of the year?
- Celebrate your successes (image via Wikipedia)
Write down your answers. Give yourself a pat on the back for your successes, however tiny. Share them with your network. Use them to build on in your planning for next year. Share them by commenting on this page.
I can’t wait to hear what your successes have been. Go on share them.
I have (belatedly) taken the first step towards becoming a bona fide businessman and am beginning to see progress. It’s very exciting!
It’s great to see your business, and you, flourishing Michael well done. May you grow from strength to strength.
Rosanna Henderson of Conker Crafts posted her success story by email and as she says I was there to witness her success and to see the amazing local talent. Here is Rosanna’s success story:
Hi Glenda,
I would like to report a success story – and you were there to share it! Here goes:
Sally Kelly, a local needlecraft artist, and myself decided earlier in the year that there does not seem to be an appropriate vehicle to show case some of the amazingly talented and artistic people that live in this borough. We therefore decided to do something about it!
After months of preparation and planning, we held a very successful ‘Art and Craft Exhibition’ on Saturday 3rd December at Pitshanger Methodist Church. We show cased 14 local art and craftspeople – each with a unique skill and talent. There was an opportunity to buy and several exhibitors say they made record sales.
• By holding the event locally we were able to contribute to the Methodist Hall and maintain a community feel.
• From the entrance fees we were able to donate £200 to Ealing Dementia Concern.
• The Methodist Hall sold teas, coffees, gift wrap and cards which helped their funds.
• Kall Kwik Ealing printed flyers, posters and signs at no charge.
• We were able to publicise the event in Ealing Gazette, Ealing Today, Best of Ealing, Sticky Notes.
• Local shops helped with publicity by displaying posters.
• The Business Dinner, Coffee with Jo and BNI Walpole Ealing all helped in promoting the event
• As did friends, family and network contacts.
We wanted this to be a real community event and from the feedback we have received, we achieved this.