Small Business Today Magazine DEC 2014 NOUN INVESTMENTS | Page 14

EDITORIALFEATURE

Making a Difference 

in the New Year                      
By Rita Santamaria

A

nother New Year is upon us with the slate
Brilliant people learn from
wiped clean and new opportunities awaittheir mistakes and their
ing each of us.  For some people, the preachievements. 
Start the year
vious year might have been your best year. 
out by listing your
The many new small business owners who just
started in 2014 are reliving the new changes in
achievements, even those
their daily routine from their prior careers.  The
that were good or fair but still
experienced business owners are doing their reachievements.
view of career goals and business plans of 2015
a solution to those problems.  The next morning
and wondering how different this 2015 will be.
you already have a direction to fix the problems
During this new month, new year, and new in- and during the night you have reassured yourself
novative time, I recommend we all become stu- there is a workable plan.  Learning from our misdents again and look at the New Year as a time takes is self-discipline.  The self-discipline to nevfor engaging in conversations, blogging, Facebook er do that mistake again is what we are striving
updating, texting, reading, researching, and formu- for.  Mistakes can be as simple as wasting time,
lating your new 2015 direction.  But first do some burning bridges, speaking without respect for the
other person’s dignity, and talking more than lisreflection.
tening.  Self-discipline is as simple as doing tasks
Brilliant people learn from their mistakes and that need to be done.
their achievements.  Start the year out by listing
It’s time to develop your 2015 marketing
your achievements, even those that were good
or fair but still achievements.  Achievements are plan, business plan, and set your budget.  Do it
the sales you made in 2015.  How did you win now.  Implement the budget and the marketing
over that client to choose you out of all of the plan.  Have the initiative to stick to your plan evother service providers who do what you do?  eryday.  When daily conflicts get in the way of
Write down the direction and discussion you your daily plan, do the immediate need and then
had with those clients that got them to say yes go back to the marketing plan implementation for
to you.  That conversation or presentation you today.  Be aware of your attitude towards your
gave worked.  Do it again and again with the next career.  If you love what you do, others see it
clients.  How did you find that client in the first demonstrated through your actions and not only
place?  Go to that place often and do those activ- your words.
ities again.  It obviously worked to bring you a tarYou are the captain of your voyage and this is
get rich market.  Study your own habits that have
placed you in the right place at the right time.  Do your life, your one time to be you and experience
every good thing.  Try to make everyday a day
it again and again.
that will allow you to look at the end of 2015 with
Some of our days last year were not so pro- your list of successes being more numerous than
ductive.  Reflect on why they were not produc- the years before.
tive.  Did you waste good hours in the day with
Rita Santamaria is the owner of Champions School of Real
frivolous activities?  Why? Did you stay awake at Estate which was founded in 1983 and is a five time national
night worrying about something that tomorrow award winning school.  The Champions School of Professional
would fix? Sometimes it pays off in hours of sleep Development was founded in 2012 and has grown in a short
time to be a leading development venue for individuals and
lost if one simply stays awake and writes down companies.  For more information, visit their websites at www.
the concerns on one’s mind and then writes out ChampionsSchool.com or www.TheChampionsProfessional.com.

12 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ DECEMBER 2014 ]