Year in Review - The 12 Months of Christmas Past and FutureHoffmann-Rondeau Communications Inc.
Funny thing, each year always begins with January. Funniest still, that month is also my birthday - yeah, right up front too. So it's easy for me to personalize each year alongside my business track. The year 2009 started out somewhat slowly for me, as far as any new development goes. However by the end of the summer, it had come to a totally unexpected crossroad. The result of it was that for the rest of the year, I re-invented my whole business strategy into something more focused and more specific. Looking back, my success list of review and reflection goes like this: On the first month of Christmas, my true love (business) gave to me... A train ride. Start the engine on a positive stroke. Some people like to think of January as a brand new year where everything begins brand new again. However, this does not make sense. Business is a continuum. It should not stagnate and start over again at each new year. It merely stops to pick up and let off ideas. January should expound on December, November on October, etc.. non-stop, and each year on the previous year. Whether you succeed at all your endeavors or fail at some, the sum of it is learning experiences that turn into positive exponential results. On the second month... Catch up on sales. Without a missing beat February picks up from the previous month. By then you should have the results of your first 30 days of the new leg of the journey. Are you on target? Did you meet your sales projections? If not, this is the time to double up and make those extra cold calls, or email offers or PPC campaigns. This month is a month of "catching up" immediately to start off on the right track. On the third month... Line up on focus. As month two builds on month one and month one on month 12 (last year's) so does March on February. Are you on focus? Can't let the the vision go out of focus. Clarity is key. Review the first two months and line up their results with the focus. Is everything in sync with the vision and the mission of the business? If not, do a correction. Snap out any distraction, and regain control - before it's too late. Write or re-write the strategy. On the fourth month... and fifth... and six... More of the same. Keep the mometum going. Every month, review the last thirty days and take immediate action to catch up, line up and correct the plan. Keep it positive and exponential. That's the goal. Crystal clear, the hand on the throttle and the eye on the rail, as to where it's going compared to where it's supposed to go. On the next three months... Realign, tweak and adjust. Any derailment of plan? Any unexpected blows? Any unexpected opportunities? Analyze and then realign what is needed, tweak for improvement and adjust for perfection. On the final three months... Last chance turnaround. Are the projection figures on target? Are the profits growing? This is the last chance to turnaround any disappointing results. Massive actions must be taken if there have been late minute road blocks. December 31 is just around the corner. This is the last leg to recoup, redress or recap any losses or requirements. So what did I re-invent into? Dropping off a business that offered broad management services to a large market, to picking up a focused coaching business targeted to the small business operator, solo-preneurs and unemployed who want to start and grow their own business. That's my take as I review and reflect on the past year and the year to come. Each year picking up steam along the journey to success! Hope you'll get onboard your own train as it pulls out of your train station. /dmh Diane M. Hoffmann is president of Hoffmann-Rondeau Communications Inc., which offers ONline and OFFline business services and resources. She is the founder and creator of http://www.business-resources-hrc.com and author of several books, e-books and articles, including "Contextual Communication, Organization and Training". Diane has recently shifted her primary focus to helping unemployed and self-employed start and grow their own Internet business.
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