Dec 08 2009
Five Business Lessons I’m Taking Into 2010
I’d venture to say that most business men and women will be happy to see 2009 in their rear view mirrors. But as with any experience we need to figure out the lessons learned in order to successfully move forward.
In my case there were many…here are five of the big ones:
Opportunity Is Still Everywhere – 2009 was a difficult year, but that’s the nature of evolution. In order for new segments of our economy to grow some older segments had to die. How soon you get beyond the loss will determine your ability to recognize the opportunity all around. Sometimes it’s as simple as just turning around.
Who You Are Is More Important Than What You Do – Jonathan Sprinkles, 2006 College Speaker of the Year, once told me that people will not buy from you until they know you. In today’s economy, your greatest differentiator in business is YOU.
Back To Basics – The days of ‘Money for Nothing’ (Dire Straits, 1985) are gone. Those of us who adhere to the basics and learn the fundamentals key to making it in the new economy will not only survive but thrive going forward.
Social Media Is Here to Stay – I know that calculating the ROI on Social Media is akin to determining the dollar value of smiling versus frowning at your customer. You can’t quite put a figure on it, but you know it’s the right thing to do. There’s no better way to establish, grow and maintain a client base or tribe.
The Importance Of The Written Word – A successful impression when meeting someone used to be determined by wearing a suit versus jeans. Now, in today’s Text/Twitter-speak world, it’s your ability to construct coherent sentences and proper paragraphs that count. If you can’t get your information across you’ll never make it.
These are my five…what are you taking into 2010?
Dwain – The Biker Guy
As always – This is my opinion and I look forward to yours. So, if you disagree or simply want to pile on, please do so either here on the BLOG or email me directly at Navigator@BikersGuidetoBusiness.Com I look forward to hearing from you.
Stumble it!
This is an excellent piece. Well said Bro. All the best to ya in 2010.
BossMan
Love this posting! Nice reflections on the year and good inspiration for the new one coming up!
Petey
Your 5 points were right on the mark. I especially agreed with the importance of the written word. All too many times the “text style” communications gets lost in translation. Also since my brain is filled with so much data (both important and useless), I don’t always verbally say the right things (aka foot-in-mouth), so when putting thoughts onto paper (or screen) there is an effort to put conscience thought in to the point being made. However, sometimes a one sentence line of apprecation can speak volumes that verbal just can’t do, this I hope to improve in 2010.