It’s hard to believe, but summer is almost over. Another year is zipping by as we head into autumn of 2013. Yes, there are always lots of things to do, with grape harvesting and winemaking either gearing up or going at full tilt at this time of year, and with lots of guests in the tasting room and participating in events at the winery.
In addition to all the work, for me autumn is a time for reflection. It’s the time to start thinking about what lessons and new information I have learned this year and what things I want to change going forward.
As this is a busy time of year, I do not start creating the new marketing plan or writing a new strategy, but I do start making notes, or digging out the notes I have made during the year about what I want to do going forward. In my case, thinking about new seminars I want to create and different training and marketing and sales concepts. If there’s a business book I’ve wanted to read, I make sure it’s on my Kindle, so that when I have a few minutes I can read a chapter or two.
I also look at the new things I put into place this year to see how they worked and think about how procedures and processes can work better.
Change starts with ideas and with a conscious and early effort to get those ideas written down somewhere. Whether it’s on the computer or in a notepad or on your office wall, you have a much better chance of creating the environment you want for your staff, for guests, for your very best customers, your owners and your bottom line, if you have a system.
Get your key staff involved too, by asking them to jot down the things that they would like to see changed or implemented in the coming year.
This is the time of year when you are most aware of what is and is not working and how things could be improved. Yes, it’s also the busiest time but taking a few minutes at the end of each day to make some notes to be pulled out during the rainy (or snowy) days of late autumn and winter will give you a big jump on next year – which is coming up fast.
A tip of the glass from me to you!
In Short Direct Marketing 