In Good Times Or Bad, Success Is An Inside Job

During the past 18 months I have heard countless conversations among technology resellers about the weak economy, the uncertainty caused by global terrorism, and the negative effects these external circumstances have on their businesses. It is hard to avoid conversations like these; the trouble is if you listen to and participate in enough conversations about "how bad it is out there," you start to believe it's actually true.

Grow Your Business Despite Weak Economy
I know these conversations are not true. Regardless of the state of the economy and the world situation, there are resellers throughout the industry who are experiencing record growth and record profits. But you know that - you see them on the cover of Business Solutions each month. Has your company been on the cover lately? If not, why? How is it that some companies thrive when circumstances are so discouraging and much of the industry is struggling? Everyone seems to have an opinion on this; here is mine: in good times or bad, success is an inside job.

I believe the success of you and your business is independent of the economy, a war, or any other external factors. In essence, in determining your success or failure, circumstances are irrelevant! Most people look to external circumstances to assess their chances for success. This protects them from the uncomfortable reality that each of us is ultimately responsible for what we achieve or don't achieve in life. When outcomes don't materialize the way we would like, or the way our employer would like, it is much more appealing to focus on what is wrong "out there" than to look at where we are lacking personally. With the unprecedented uncertainty in the world today, economically and politically, it has never been more tempting to shift the blame for what is not working to something outside ourselves, and it has never been more critical not to.

Sell Beyond Your Core Technology
Instead of focusing on what is wrong with the economy or other external circumstances, successful resellers are spending more time listening to their customers' challenges and finding creative solutions to address their needs. Within the POS market, retailers are never more interested in reducing costs and improving profitability as they are during lean economic times. Technology initiatives with proven ROI, such as improving speed of service with a line-busting solution using Wi-Fi (802.11b technology)-equipped handheld terminals, can benefit retailers now more than ever.

Much of the value of Business Solutions magazine to technology resellers is that it provides information on a broad range of technologies. Some technologies may be outside a particular reseller's core business, but critical to addressing a particular customer's needs or to entering new markets. Looking for opportunities outside of your traditional market is a strategy employed by many resellers to maintain growth during difficult times. One example is the new federal privacy regulations in healthcare. These regulations have created an opportunity for numerous VARs throughout the country to provide EMR (electronic medical record) solutions to medical doctors and chiropractors.

Take Responsibility For Your Success
The art and practice of blaming disappointing results on circumstances outside of our control is deeply ingrained in our culture. For many of us it started with "the dog ate my homework" and continues today as "the economy took my profits," or some similar complaint. The challenge of accepting personal responsibility for success or failure in business is that there is no one to blame, not the economy, or your customers, vendors, or employees. If your business is not thriving, the responsibility is yours, period. The payoff is that you never need to be held hostage to the economy and any other external circumstance again. In the end, you have a choice: to take personal responsibility for your success or to risk being a victim of circumstance. Join me in choosing the former, and I'll see you on the cover.