I’ll admit it, I still rely on industry trade publications for information and actually enjoy turning printed pages. While many of the magazines are not as thick as they used to be (and some are gone all together), I usually have a stack of industry-related magazines on my desk and spend as much time as possible reading. I recently learned that one publication in our industry was awarded two Neal Awards for journalistic excellence. Congratulations to Stitches Magazine and especially Theresa Hegel (@TheresaHegel) for her “Best Range of Work by a Single Author” Award. Another ASI Publication that I have really been enjoying lately is Counselor Magazine. Whether you read online or offline, good writing is good writing–it not only informs, it makes you think. I’d like to share an editorial commentary titled “Get Your Growth On” by ASI’s Andy Cohen, (@ASI_AndyCohen) that should speak to many of you. After describing the optimistic state of the industry in 2015, he poses this question, which I encourage all of you to really ponder. He writes:
Indeed, 2015 may be able to be named The Year of Growth. Are you prepared to capitalize? You can’t just go to market with the exact same plan as in previous years and expect to win these kinds of big deals that are available. You might need more salespeople to take advantage of the additional opportunities. You might need new capabilities – like e-commerce and mobile marketing – to connect with a new wave of buyers that aren’t used to the traditional modes of purchasing. You might need new offerings – such as website design and on-site decoration services – that expanding corporate customers could call on you for.
To read the complete article, click here. As Cohen states, “The business climate is ripe for growth right now.” If you’ve been considering taking the next step to growing your business, 2015 might just be YOUR year. If you have a business growth story you would like to share, like the one from Lindsey Netterville who expanded her business with a cutter, I would really enjoy hearing from you. Just leave a comment in the box below.