Well, we’ve made the calendar change. Another year is gone. How did it go for you? Are you ready for 2013?
As the aftermarket rolls into another year, now is the time for businesses to look back on 2012 and how they performed. For those that were successful, now is the time to evaluate why and see how much of that you can carry with you into 2013. And for those of you that struggled, can you pinpoint what slowed you down? If you can, try to create a plan now to make combat or limit that distress in 2013.
If you don’t know what hurt you, or you can’t explain it, it is still a good idea to enter 2013 with caution. Be aware that uncertainty can creep up around every corner, and to achieve your goals you will need to be able to survive that.
There are a few ways to do that.
One is to create general guidelines to deal with unexpected expenses or slumping sales. Know what you have to do to slim down your expenses during slow periods to keep your business humming. Slumps are part of business. You don’t want to let them knock you out of business.
Another way to keep your business moving forward in 2013 is being proactive and expanding your business. You don’t have to add a facility per se, but you can add products or services. You also can add to your business by just communicating with your customers. Go out and see what they are looking for from you. See what their 2013 plans are.
If you can sync up what you provide with they will need, that’s a good start.
No one really knows what to expect in 2013, but that doesn’t mean you need to sit back and see what happens. Go out now and try to improve your business. That way, when the year does show its hand, you will have a strategy for how to deal with it.
