Looking Forward

We ask that you take a hard look at this past years challenges and see how you met or avoided them. You have control over two main things in life, your effort and your attitude towards the challenges put forth to you. Most everything else is not within your grasp of control.

 

As this is being written from a business perspective, I will concentrate on that aspect while full well recognizing that family comes first.

 

Challenges outside your control are the general economy, but how you direct your efforts and your business attitude with the slowdown is within your control. Since 2008 we have seen a global shift from an easy credit policy to tightening of financing. We are far from out of the woods, but Canada does show many bright spots, as we are a resource rich nation both from a commodity perspective and as a people.

 

Regionally we have seen slowdowns in our manufacturing over the past years with the loss of many major employers. The construction industry has also been affected severely after the 2008 liquidity crisis. 

 

Kelowna has a few major positives - it is located in the heart of the Okanagan, one of the most desirable places to live in British Columbia. And British Columbia itself, is one of the most beautiful provinces in Canada. It is truly breathtaking. Canada is a country like no other, it is vast in area, resource rich, and its people tend to be very conservative and generally worry about the welfare of their fellow man. We can be very proud of our general nature. I know I am a proud Canadian. With that in mind Kelowna will always attract people with capital and ideas.

 

Looking back at this past year is a good way to plan for the next year as well. What was your biggest challenge? What was your biggest success? Who were the key people in your business, are they happy, have you looked after them, do your key people know they are valuable, do they know that the team is before the individual?

 

Most of us cannot work much harder, so the only option left is to work smarter. We believe working smarter is the key to increasing our effectiveness in our efforts. Our attitude is to grasp all challenges as opportunities and move forward.

 

How to work smarter is not always easy to figure out, as there is so much noise out there - it is almost deafening. People trying to tell you this is the way, you just need to spend this, buy that, use this. How do you find or discover truth where to spend your time and dollars?

 

I think sometimes the biggest pitfall we all fall prey to is the idea that we need to do something because our competitor is doing it. Or acting without a solid business plan, just doing it based on fear that someone else might.

 

With everything, take a step back and examine the situation in a little more detail. Every tool has its purpose. While a hammer is great tool to drive a nail, it does a lousy job of cooking pancakes.

 

Setting goals is the key to any type of success, and adding persistence to the task is the effort part of the equation of success.

 

We have made some big changes in our business model in the past 6 months and as a company we feel revitalized and ready for the challenges before us. One of our main goals is to communicate with our current customers and have them be able to rely on us for answers regarding the online world. We want our customers to know that they will receive value for their investment. We want to make sure you feel like you are a part of our managed service.

 

We wish you the best in the new year and wish you and your families the best as well.