Planning Through the 4 Seasons of Business
Posted by aonenetworks On October 22, 2013
New and veteran businesses experience the different seasons of existing. Some may not make it through all seasons; others hover between only two, but most transition through the different phases. Being able to recognize the season of your business can help focus your next move. The seasons of a business are:
- Growth – progression of becoming larger due to increases in demand. The amount of movement is not important, more so is the act of movement.
- Prosperity – the high point of the business cycle that leads to steady demand and even financial security.
- Change – a shifting of the business demands, market trends, or structure within the business.
- Stationary – no business movement and little demand; barely sufficient sales to maintain operations.
Regardless of the season for your business, successful business owners harbor the same traits:
- Passion. A powerful and boundless enthusiasm to achieve the business goals. The blinders are on and the focus is intense. A true passion can be recognized within yourself because you are fascinated by something and learn it quickly, tend to lose track of time, yearn to do something and are discontent until then, and you have a radiating energy whenever you are working with it.
- Open-minded. To be receptive to new and different ideas and welcome the opinions of others. Enhance your own state-of-mind by being slow to judge people or information.
- Expert. Hold a high degree of skill and knowledge in your industry, and being quite proficient. This requires hard work, focus and dedication. Immerse yourself in both book learning and real-world experience. Be willing, and even excited, to make mistakes.
- Eager anticipation. To look forward with expectation, planning and scheduling as progress is made. This requires very specific goals and close tracking of progress, perhaps to the point of fanatical.
- Constant ideas. Maintaining the above traits will feed in new ideas. The true skill is acknowledging and recognizing the ideas as they are presented. Become creative in the venues you observe; the next idea could come from the most unlikely of sources.
The rapid pace of the changing world demands the ability to adjust and adapt, but to react to a mandatory shift may be too late. Hold these traits close and regardless the season, your business will be self-adapting.
Image credit: 
joiseyshowaa
