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WoW - Success Is An Act of Will. Not a Stroke of Luck!

Just because you have a business (or inherited a business) doesn't mean you know how to run a business. There are subtle nuances that contribute to the success of any business - large or small, and one of the nuances is will (aka determination). A will to succeed in important. 

I work with the small business community and sometimes what I see is a will to - survive. In this market economy it's going to take more than that. A LOT more than that. If you are a small business owner - I urge you... no I dare you to.. make this the year you WILL succeed. You WILL stay in the black. You WILL turn a sizable profit. You WILL hire from the community. You WILL learn new technology. You WILL take classes and trainings and seminars that teach you the fundamentals of running a business so that understand what contributes to success and what contributes to failure. This year - you WILL get that business plan finished - I don't care if you've run your business for 25 years without one or you inherited the company as if from "Granddaddy." This year you WILL invest in technology (hardware and software) that will make your business run more efficiently and attract more customers. This year you WILL apply for programs that will help you fix up your run down facades or interiors.

The decision is yours. It  has always been yours and it will always be yours. Either you WILL or you WILL NOT succeed. And I can't believe why you wouldn't want to. This community depends on your leadership and your judgment (as the economic driving force) to make sure it doesn't become even more technologically and economically marginalized. You owe it to the residents, the community, the customers, the people who will inherit these businesses from you - you owe it to yourself to succeed. You are the one who decides whether or not you are putting your best brand out there. Your decisions attract or repel business.

What does the current state of your business say about you as a business owner? Do an assessment. Take a look at your business from top to bottom - inside out. What comes to mind when you do an honest assessment? Do you see areas that need improvement? Does your accounting add up/make sense to you? Are there areas where you need software that can streamline services? What is holding your business back? What's working for you? Do you use technology at all? Are there areas where you should be using technology? Look at your website. Your menu. Your fliers. Your business cards. Where is marketing succeeding or failing for you? What is your online presence? How do people know/hear about your products or services? If you can't answer any of these questions - you need to take a trip to the Business Resource Network located at 7903 S. Racine and start the discussion. People say what you don't know can't hurt you, but we know that's not true. Information is power. Power gives you ability. Ability affords you opportunity. Opportunity leads to choice. Choice involves WILL. Will is a building block for success. But you have to be willing to ask the questions, find the answers, and actually put the solutions in place. Then - there will be no stopping to what you can accomplish.

pia!

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