A new year has begun and a new page in the story of your business is ready to be written. Remember, you are the one who holds the quill. The future of your business is ready to be molded, but only if you are prepared to take action and start a new chapter. Nothing will change if you don’t. Use the New Year to force yourself to do things differently and do them right.

Simply going along with the decisions and actions you made last year could keep your business from growing, and will cause it to stagnate. Consider all the things that weren’t working last year and make it a priority to fix them. If something goes wrong, be accountable and learn from your mistakes, but don’t be afraid to make them. You have to start making the changes and taking the risks that are needed to begin this new chapter, no one else can take them for you. You are the author of your business and as you look toward a new page, reflect on the previous ones.

Don’t dismiss the past, learn from it. Everything you did in 2011, both the good and the bad, will stay exactly the same if you don’t take the time to meditate on what happened. This is the perfect time to change your business and change your results. As you reflect, ask yourself some of these questions

·What didn’t work in my business in 2011? ·

What does a potential buyer see when looking at my business? What are their concerns and fears?

· Where there any problems I refused to face?

· Did I put off making decisions or making change?

· What worked well last year and how can I replicate it?

· If I could change one thing about my business or personal life, what would it be?

Use these to help you gain focus and clarity. Once you understand what’s wrong, you can change it and get back to what’s right. The New Year is a new opportunity for you. Utilize it to reinvent your business and reinvent yourself but don’t think that the change stops at the end of the month. Continue this process of reflection and action throughout the entire year to really see improvement. Be accountable for the past, and use it to build a better future and a better business.