I don’t know about you but I will not miss 2009. And I am so glad it is over.

With that said, I have learned more about my business, my customers, my partners and myself in the last 365 days than I have in the last 40 years. So before we get rolling in 2010, let’s take summary of what we learned in 2009. What would you do differently? What did you do right?

THAT DAMN RECESSION
Like many in this country, I wasn’t prepared for the recession. So when business literally stopped in late 2008/early 2009 for a few months, lets just say I was hit with a painful slap from reality. I boy when she hits, she hits hard.

Around this time, a family member also became more ill and we had some insurance problems which only added to our financial problems.

WHAT I LEARNED
However, one way or another I made it. Someday, I’ll elaborate on the details but for now just know that things got really hard for a while but somehow we made it. From a business perspective, here’s what I learned and some things I’ll do different:

1) When Disaster is eminent, get the hell out of the way (and fast). I saw what was coming but I didn’t act fast enough. I could have started cutting back sooner. I should have analyzed my financials and done what was necessarily but I procrastinated. I chose to do nothing, hoping things would just get better. Boy was I wrong.

2) When you have to let someone go, do it fast and quick. Once you know what you have to do, I have found it is better to just do it quick and get it over with. I hate letting people go but when you have no other choice it is better to just do it. Do it with respect but you have to do it.

3) Count your beans no matter how boring it is. I love my business. I love selling. I love speaking with customers and helping other business owners grow their business. What I didn’t love was keeping the books straight and keepng an eye on expenses. I had so much money coming in at one point that I didn’t pay attention to what was going out. Bad move.

4) Reinvent your business, often. I always prided myself on observing and learning what customers needed and wanted and designing programs that met those needs. However it wasn’t until I was forced to really look at my business that realized how many things I should have changed. Now, I examine everything about my business and often find things I can improve and I often find ways to save money while still running things more efficiently. Its amazing what you see and what you can do when you are forced.

5) Save and prepare for a rainy day. Somehow you think you are prepared but then you find out you really aren’t. I made the unconcious decision, that money was going to keep pouring in to my business that I din’t prepare sufficently.

Here’s a few thing I did do right:

6) Keep your customers close. I count myself as fortunate that I have great customers. And have always made it a point to speak with them often to hear what they are up to, what they are challenged with, and what they want to get done. knowing this was essential in reinventing my business.

7) Keep your customer close, but keep your family closer. I love my business and anyone who knows me that I work all the time. 12am, 2pm, and on and on; you’ll find me working. I can’t help it but I love it. But I learned that it is only business. If it wasn’t here, I’d survive. The same thing with money. It’s just money. I can earn more. I can rebuild my business. But my family that is something you can’t get back easily once you lose. Thank God I didn’t lose it. Thank God I have a family who believes in me and supports me (and who sticks with me through thick and thin).

So there it is. A very honest and forthright post to start the new year. I figure that as bad as 2009 was, it was good because I learned a lot about myself and how to be a better entreprenuer, salesguy, and most importantly, a better husband and dad.

So how about you? What did you learn in 2009 and what are you going to do differently? Let me know, I really like hear from you.