FIRST QUARTER 2019 15 FE ATURE WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2019? Perhaps you have some resolutions. It’s the classic thing to do at the start of the new year. “I resolve to do this!” We often drop the ball. That is the cruel joke. When the new year morphs into simply a continuation of the daily grind, we often lose sight of our new goals. But this is hardly about placing blame. We have all had those silly “I’m gonna lose 20 pounds this year” goals that we forget about a couple of weeks past Auld Lang Syne. However, in business, you must always have goals, regardless of what calendar page you are on. I think many of us are not goal-oriented, but should be. Do you disagree? WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? You can argue that you do indeed have goals. “My goal is to be more profitable than I was last year.” This is a good goal. But as basic as it is, I believe that it often nests along the sidelines. Instead of being the driving force that governs us, it is more of an also-ran. Sad, because being profitable is what business is all about. But you vow to “…be more profitable than last year,” and, in theory, every decision you make should be driven by this basic goal. Even the most basic decision such as buying a broom or hiring a window washer to spruce up the look of your establishment has its roots in profitability. We want customers to feel good about being in our stores, not turned off by grime. This keeps them coming back. When they come back, they bring more business. When they bring more business, they bring more profit…Ta Da! But other moves are more complicated. Some are more cosmic. We might need to hire a new manager who costs a lot more money. This might seem like an attack on the bottom line but the new manager is responsible for a number of things that will save money and cut costs. These savings are projected to more than make up for the additional cost in salary. This is when keeping your eye on the ball is so important. In this case, the “ball” is the goal of increasing profits. We have a better, more skillful manager who is capable of assisting us in attaining our goal. But we must not forget our goal. Sometimes a costly expansion is the means to an end. This can be treacherous but it shows why it is so important to never lose sight of your goals. You can bloviate about how you are going to open six new stores this year but if you use blind money with no plan, your business may not be around in 2020. Too often we make decisions based on emotion rather than intelligence. THINK To Stay On The Strategic Path By Don Desrosiers, Tailwind Systems, Inc. continued on page 16