Taking One Last Glance Into The Past Before Moving Into 2017

The beginning of a new year inevitably brings up reminiscent feelings in most people. One looks over the past year noting all the things that have gone well, the things that could have gone better and things that probably shouldn’t have happened at all. For most entrepreneurs this glance back is done from the lens of the business, and I am no different. This last year in business for me personally  has been one of discipline, rebuilding, and growth.

Discipline

The years preceding 2016 had been difficult. Sales weren’t as high as we had once enjoyed and taken for granted. The market climate itself changed. And as a business leader I was left with the difficult decision of having to change with it. So the business evolved, and all us along with it. In the beginning of 2016 we felt the impacts of tightening our belts, budgets were smaller, and teams downsized. Discipline went a long way, sprinkled in with some patience.

Rebuilding

Learning to run your business in a completely new market was a giant feat. Especially when prior to that, we had been running it (rather successfully) for a number of years. Starting was over was difficult, and sometimes plain annoying. Learning new ways to reach our same audience was time consuming and taxing, but ended up becoming a blessing in disguise. We were able to reintroduce ourselves to our customers, and get an intimate inside look on how we could serve them better… And we needed the wakeup call.

Growth

With all new change comes growth. Learning all the facts in the world can prove to be useless if not applied correctly. And what is business, if some risks (albeit calculated) aren’t taken. After taking inventory of our customers needs we worked to improve existing product lines, and took some risks to create new ones. With the new and improved customer insights those changes and growth paid off. We were able to end off the year with great sales projections for the future, diversified fields for new products and best of all higher customer satisfaction and engagement.

Final Glancing Back

Overall 2016 was one of learning and growth, and as an entrepreneur that’s as good as it gets. It was exactly the year our business needed to prepare for the kind of success that is bound to happen after hard working and dedication. And like any entrepreneur, or business owner will tell you nothing, absolutely nothing is possible without an amazing team. I am especially grateful for mine, they have brought in fresh and innovative ideas, and worked hard to implement them. I am equally grateful and excited for what we can accomplish together in 2017.

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