As I think about the last 18-24 months, if any of you are like me, we may be all thinking, “Why plan for 2010? With all that has happened in the economy, the unknowns out there, and the downturn that we have experienced, there is no way one can predict what will happen over the next 12-24 months.”
However, even though the future isn’t predictable, don’t allow the future to just ‘happen to us’. Take the next couple of weeks left in 2009 to reflect on what has happened in your business during 2009 and how you can use that to plan for 2010. How much revenues did each of our clients generate in 2009 and how much do we expect them to generate next year? What happened to my costs and what do I anticipate next year? How has the labor market affected my business? What personnel needs do I have in the next twelve months? Do I need to adjust my prices in 2010 and how might that affect my business? How can I tighten the ship to be more efficient in this down economy? How do I get more out of my employees? How can I give my employees more than just a pay check so in difficult times like these, they remain loyal and hardworking?
All of these are questions we should be asking ourselves, as entrepreneurs, at the dawn of a new year. Though predictions are we are on the verge of rising from this recession, I foresee continued difficult times ahead in the short-term. By taking control of our business and strategizing how we are going to weather this storm, we will take control of our own future and not just let it ‘happen’ to us.
