May your business prosper in 2009! Hopefully you've already made concrete goals and plans on how it will. If you haven't taken the time to make a plan for the New Year you really ought to consider it. Here at B&C MediaWorks we spent a lot of our down time during the holiday season taking a hard look at what lies ahead, and setting our goals to meet the challenges we're going to face. We realize that we need to know our destination and exactly how we are going to get there. We do that by carefully planning our route, and as best we can avoid any costly detours.

In this month's Newsletter we're going to tell you why goals can suck, and how they don't have to.

Goals Suck!

Just say the word "goals" and you can hear the chorus of moans and groans. That's because for most people setting goals usually means more discipline, more sacrifice, longer hours and harder WORK! Most small business owners are already working hard enough to make ends meet, and the thought of adding the pressure of meeting loftier goals is probably repulsive. And that's actually good to feel that way because setting goals to work harder at what you are doing is likely not the answer to exponentially higher returns on your efforts. Strongly consider that the answer to higher returns in the New Year will not be an orchestrated company-wide effort to work harder, but a well-thought out and calculated effort to work smarter!

If your life and your business have no direction you will get there very quickly. To survive and grow your business, set goals you must. And when you do, consider the age-old saying, "if you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got". Goals don't have to suck if you approach them in a new way. They can be fun, invigorating, motivating and can add new life to your business and employees.

If your business is pushing dirt, you can only push so much with the equipment that you have at your disposal. You can push more if you work faster, harder, longer hours with no breaks, but at what cost? The cost of working in this fashion rarely works to your advantage, and often results in a net loss both to the company and to you personally. Working your bulldozers and people faster, harder and longer for prolonged periods of time statistically cost more in shoddy work, broken water pipes, bad drainage, cut electrical lines, tired and overworked employees, higher equipment repair costs, and a host of other unforeseen expenses that come as a result of working harder, faster and longer. On a personal level the results of working your business harder can lead to stressed marriages, bad health, and missing your kid's lives.

If you sell cars the last thing you want to hear from your supervisor is, "Okay everyone, this year your goal is to sell more cars and damn it I need everyone here an hour early and stay an hour later in order to do it!"   Setting goals to work harder, faster and longer to reach an obvious result are the kind of goals that suck, and just simply won't work to maximize results.

So what kinds of goals don't suck and will add some exciting spice to the routine? The first thing to do when making goals is to make every attempt to think out of your business-as-usual box. This practice may be harder than you think. Business-as-usual thinking is like quicksand and you might be so deep that it's going to be a challenge to get out. But if you fail to get out you'll eventually be swallowed. Thinking differently takes time and effort!

Coming up with new ideas and new ways of doing business is fun. It's an adventure of sorts, and it's the kind of thinking that will bring you success. One of the best ways to learn to think out of the box is to start asking the very simple question, "Why? "  Asking "Why? " will begin to open your eyes to all sorts of new ways of thinking!  If you sell cars begin by asking yourself, "Why am I spending so much time standing here in the parking lot waiting for customers to come to me? Why am I not doing something to go out and get them? Why do customers not typically trust me? Why aren't more people paying attention to our balloons? "  Then begin to consider all of the answers and what you can do that you aren't currently doing to sell more cars!  Why are you standing in the parking lot and how much of that time you could you be using to proactively reach out to the customer?

Are you standing in the parking lot? Each individual business has its own set of challenges and thought processes, but with change coming in 2009 it's time to start thinking about how your business will survive and thrive. 2009 won't be a field of dreams, and because you've built a business doesn't mean that customers will necessarily just come and buy your products or services. You may have to go and get them. Your goals, plan and execution to reach them will ultimately determine your success this year.

Three out of four will die

Founded by Dr. Paul Hardy, Recovery for the City, a faith-based 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, began in 1998 as an alternative program for people struggling with addictions and compulsive behaviors, and to deal with their issues in safe, small groups. The program is dedicated to providing both safe places and the various tools needed for recovery from addiction, one family at a time.

If you have a problem with addiction or compulsive behavior there is a very good chance you will die an untimely death because of it.

For over thirteen years Dr. Paul Hardy has championed for those who struggle with addictions and compulsive behaviors, and is considered an expert in the field of addiction recovery with his unique and specialized intervention methods that reveal how personal beliefs affect behavior.  Dr. Paul is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management and Drug and Alcohol Intervention.  Working with the Virginia Beach Police Department, Dr. Hardy serves to help people exposed to trauma. Both the Navy Brig and the Department of Corrections of Virginia have called on him for the development of treatment programs. He provides relapse prevention training for men coming out of the prison system and for the homeless.

If you are struggling with addiction or need information "for someone else," please visit www.R4CI.com.

Join Bull & Crowley MediaWorks in support of the Wounded Marine and Family Assistance Program this holiday season. A very small gift will go a long way in saying "thank you" to someone who has sacrificed so greatly for our country.

Visit www.woundedmarine.com for information on how you can help.