Business Success: You’re Either Improving or Getting Worse

July 1, 2010

I heard a quote once that I fell in love with: “If you aren’t improving you’re getting worse”. It just really struck a chord and has stuck with me over the years. Maybe because I could relate: there have been times in my life and my career when I’ve gotten too comfortable and stopped looking for opportunities to improve my skills. I stopped learning. I stopped challenging myself. I stopped growing. Some call it a rut but it really is more than that- it’s a regression.

In my small business marketing workshops and seminars I tell business owners that they must become students of their industries for their businesses to thrive. That means constantly looking for new opportunities to learn and grow. We need to be on top of changing trends in our industry, what our competitors are doing, the actions and behaviors of our target market if we want to stand out from the crowd.

Think about your hair stylist- would you rather go to someone who attends all the latest industry shows and events, reads the current beauty magazines, and continues to take classes or the one who has had her shop for 30 years and hasn’t so much as picked up a copy of “Hairstylist” magazine in 20? The same is true with your CPA, attorney, auto mechanic, plumber, and remodeler. Aren’t you more confident in a professional who stays current and continues to improve her skills? So think about that, with trends and technology forever changing- if we aren’t improving – we really are getting worse!

When so many small business owners out there are content with the status quo , you can rise to the top by continuing to learn, improve your skills and find new ways to grow your business. How are you a student of your industry? What do you do to continue to improve?

Please click here to leave your comments. (And then scroll down to the comments section on the bottom of the page)