The Business Chat - You're in the drivers seat.

It’s that time of year again. No, not the I-can’t-believe-I-ate-all-that time – it’s that time where everybody starts talking about resolutions. Ho hum. We make them then we break them, both personally and professionally.

It’s darn easy to be sitting on the couch with a beverage and some chocolate and talk about all the great things you will do for your business starting on Tuesday January 1. Until that alarm clock goes off on morning of the 1^st and it goes downhill from there. So this year don’t even go there. No promises to faithfully blog twice a week. Or to tweet 10 times a day. Or to build that new website by January 15^th even though you don’t know how to code. Stop right now.

Although I think resolutions are stupid, I do believe that intentions and goals are the key to success. Imagine getting in your car and having no destination. You just randomly drive and drive. You get nowhere. Occasionally that might be what you want to do but on a daily basis? It’s no way to live and it’s no way to succeed in business.

You need to know where you are going.

You are in charge of where you are going. You decide.

It’s your business, you make the calls. Sometimes life will throw a curveball at you and you have to change your path (hello recession!) but ultimately it is up to you where your business will go.

I want you to stop and ponder this for a bit. Grab a notebook and a pen. (What, Santa didn’t bring you a new notebook?) Really spend some time on this one because this is super important.

This time next year what does your business look like?

Here’s your homework. Write a letter about what 2013 brought you professionally. Then describe your business as of December 31, 2013.

As you write this you may notice a little voice in your head saying stuff like “you can’t do that, you don’t know how”. Or you may finish every sentence with a “but” and a reason why you can’t. Do not listen. This is an exercise in possibilities. Your inner critic has no place here.

Think about what your work will look like. Did you create a solid body of work? Maybe you built a good collection. Or took some great classes and learnt a new skill.

Think of what your work space will look like. Will you work alone at home, or in an outside studio? Do you have an assistant?

Where will you be selling? Did you do any craft shows in 2013, if so how many? How did they go? Maybe you finally got a new website or opened an Etsy shop. Speaking of sales did you hit your target numbers?

On December 31 2013 what do you want your business to look like?

(found in a shop window on Queen St West, Toronto).