New Year, New Ideas

Here we are again; the New Year is here and millions will be making resolutions to change the ways that their businesses operate. On the surface, this appears to be a good thing. However, are we making changes just for the sake of change or based on ideas that actually will improve our operations?

First, there are many business owners that will never change anything about their operations because they see themselves as perfect no matter the results of their business performance. They just keep working as they always have and accepting the same results that they always have received. This might be the definition of insanity.

Second, there are business people who will never embrace a different or new idea because they are afraid of change. Are they dumb or afraid, or a combination of the two? With a new idea we must research it and see how it should help us. We cannot allow our fear or ignorance to stop us from trying something new. If the new idea does not work, we must stop doing it and try something else.

Third, if we determine that we should be obtaining better results from our businesses, and we see new ideas that should help us improve those results, we must never allow our doubt, or that of naysayers that fall into the first two areas above, to impede the implementation of those ideas. We must devote our full support to the implementation of changes and allow them to build the results expected. If they don’t, we should perform more study to provide us the reasons.

New ideas can enable our businesses to grow and prosper. They can be very meaningful to the continued success that we may already enjoy, but on an expanded level. They also could have a negative impact on our business and impede the success that we already had. We must thoroughly implement the new ideas that we have researched and monitor closely the results that we obtain after implementation so that we can take immediate action if necessary.

Maybe we should try ideas such as appeared in The Costco Connection magazine this month. Michael Parrish Dudell, in his article “Stand Out in 2017”, suggests that businesses attempt to sell more to less people by concentrating on more specific niches. He also offers that businesses should improve their customer service by personalizing their operation at every point of service. Finally, he states that businesses need to refresh their digital marketing, making it more up-to-date and easier to use. See his article for more details.

A new year brings to us the belief that we must implement new ideas that should change our business results for the better. There are all types of pitfalls involved in this philosophy, and we must perform the correct research, both inside our operations and outside, to determine what we need and how it should provide results. Then we must control and monitor the implementation of these new ideas, keeping a close watch on the situation and any need for more change.

If we do not do anything new in our businesses for the new year, we must recommit to Gratitude Marketing, making our prospects, customers, clients, employees, former customers, and anyone else know in their hearts that we appreciate those with whom we have any relationship, or not, and will continue to do so. Please leave me your comments, or email me at Jim@JimTeasley.com, or call me at 360-314-8691.