And, as I do every year in November and December, I'm making plans for the new year. When I owned my showroom business I always loved finding some quiet time and reflecting on the ending year. How close did I come to my financial projections? Did I meet my marketing goals? Was I able to strengthen my relationships with my vendor partners? Did I improve my No. 1 asset: my employees? Did I earn a reasonable return on my investment? Was it worth the risk and hard work?
Once I'd spent four to six hours reviewing past results I'd go to work on the forthcoming year. Many years ago a friend of mine told me that no one plans to fail, but a whole lot of people fail to plan! The advice I was given early in my professional career has always stuck with me: have a plan! I believe you should have a plan for both your business and your personal life. Set goals, build in incentives and rewards. Track the results.