Written by Peter McGurran

Jan. 22, 2024– I am in the midst of business planning for 2024. We are trying something different this year – working with the team at Cardone Ventures to help solidify a structure for our business that will ensure success as we work towards more and more profitable growth. I am reading books by Brandon Dawson and Grant Cardone – I have terms like “Massive Action” (Cardone) and “work on your business not in your business” (Dawson) in my head as I work on my plan. One thing I am realizing is that after 27 years in business, I have been doing things wrong.

First off, I have not been writing anything down. My overall plan has always been “grow the business.” I never created specific targets that I would strive for. I would just work hard, try to get more sales, hire people to fill gaps, and hope that the current year’s revenue and profit exceeded the last. And for the most part, it has – due to sweat, luck, and the right people.

Secondly, my goals never included concentrating on the work that was needed with my team. I always assumed that we would hire the right people and in some magical way, they would be trained to do what was needed to support and grow the business. I expected them to work hard and have “almost” the same level of commitment and desire to keep our company going as I do. This is not to say that I would not be intimate in the development of the teammates around me. I would – but never to the level that was needed. I was task oriented with them, showing them how to do something and then redirecting them to others within the organization to help them get the training that they need. Then I would wonder why some were not engaged to the level I wanted them to be or not as excited as I was for our future.

I am learning some big lessons in the short time that I have been working with the Cardone team. These are lessons that I regret not knowing years ago. Many of them are ideas that are obvious – things that I have heard in passing but always rejected because either I did not think that they applied to me or that I was too “busy” running my business. Items like:

  • Writing down your goals
  • Make a 30-, 60-, and 90-day plan.
  • Make a 1-, 3- and 10-year plan.
  • Remember that your people are your business.
  • If I don’t duplicate myself, I am in the bottleneck.
  • It is not all about me.

Hard lessons to learn. I imagine that many small business owners can relate to this. But maybe I am unique!

This year is going to be different. With the help from Brandon Dawson’s team, we are working with all our employees to document what their Personal, Professional, and financial goals are. We will then be working to compare those goals with what our 2NSystem’s goals are. If we are not aligned, then we will regroup and assess. The intent is to make sure that our employees are reaching their own Personal, Professional, and Financial goals by working as part of our team. Having this alignment will ensure our collective success – which is the whole point, right?

Here is to a fun and prosperous 2024!