Thankfully, the global economy appears to be heading out of recession.  For CEO’s, business optimism is sure to rise with such news as history as shown a healthy correlation between a strong economy and increased spending (and Groupon better hope so after declining Google’s offer – WOW!).

That said, skepticism is sure to linger among all enterprises no matter what the financial analysts forecast for the future.  We are readily seeing companies vocalize their uncertainty in asking questions such as:

What does 2011 hold for our industry?

Are corporate IT budgets going to increase in other industries?

Should I hire more salespeople?

As a sales growth firm that has experience working with many companies  across the country, we at entreQuest find that these questions to be completely appropriate as we approach a new year of business in a new economic environment.  However none of them are the most important question to which we turn our attention towards now.  Bluntly stated:

Are you willing to let your business grow, shrink or die?

Everyone talks a lot about change.  President Obama won his presidency on a platform of change.  Tupac and David Bowie both scored hit songs titled “Changes.”  And my personal favorite, Charles Darwin had an exceptional quote on the idea:  “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives.  It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

Since change went from being the constant of our economic environment to the culprit of it in this recession, business leaders must decide how they will adapt to its mysterious nature as we enter 2011.  So again, we ask:

Are you willing to let your business grow, shrink or die?

Before the recession, it was often said that some 90% of all businesses failed.

And yet your doors are still open.

In the current state of the recession, the unemployment rate is reported at over 9%.

And yet you still have a job.

These facts in themselves prove that you have what it takes to survive even if you did so just barely.

Regardless of your corporate strength or staff intelligence, in the spirit of Darwinism you must decide if your company has what it takes to adapt for survival in the upcoming year.  Make no mistake about it for this is not a time to waver.  It’s a matter of thrive, strive, or say good-bye.

If you have yet to make this decision and truly resolve, you are in what we call the grape zone.

Wait for this next week… and GO RAVENS!

Joe

I am sure you have read a few opinions on what to do for this year.  In our 9th year of helping over 350 companies grow, here is our take:

* Embrace change and face it head on – no one can predict the future and the only constant is change so welcome it, invite and then RE-INVENT!  You can’t run from it so you would be best to meet this head on, Domino’s Pizza did – check it out: http://ow.ly/SoP0 .  This is where true innovation happens.

* Get flexible and listen more – you have to be willing to put everything on the table in order to win in 2010.   Whether it’s changing your ingredients in a recipe you have used for 15+ years (Domino’s) or changing a planning process in the company from a 12 month cycle to a 90-day – DO IT!  The market will tell you what to do if you just listen.  In these times of change your response and response time is EVERYTHING!

* Execute– no excuse – talk is cheap as the old saying goes.  In the next decade this will be especially true.  Do what you say… and only say what you mean.  People are fed up with fakes… look for this to only intensify.  Companies and people who actually follow-up with what they say they are going to do will thrive in the coming decade.  If you can’t plan, organize, coordinate and execute against a plan – you have nothing.  Good intentions and ideas are unfortunately a dime a dozen.

* Tell your story – statistics show that one of the most effective ways to commit something to memory is with a story.  If your clients and the market place know your story, it will stick with them, be easy to carry and be a BIG PAYOFF.

* GIVE until your face falls off – ok, I am stealing this from Gary Vaynerchuk’s book, Crush It.  But it is so true.  You need to give, give, and give with no expectation of reciprocation.  Authenticity rules in 2010.

* Push harder, faster and stronger – 2010 is going to be a great year but out-working the competition is key.  Smart growth could happen just by having the willingness to make that extra call, attend that extra meeting or fill in the blank.  If you have to, fight, kick, claw and scratch your way to growth – then do it!

* Be the best – do one thing really well and drop everything else.  They say to become the best at something it takes repetition.  You can never get there by doing 4,000 things 7 times.  You need to do 7 things (or one) 4,000 times to become a true master.

Results will always vary, just remember:

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
- Winston Churchill