What does the year ahead hold? Will buyers open their wallets just a little wider? Have they grown to expect enormous discounts and only buy when they get them? Will vegetable gardening boom continue? Or will this past year’s challenging growing conditions dampen gardeners’ enthusiasm?
None of us can know for sure, but I just read a terrific article titled An Optimism Retrospective by Andrea Syverson of IER Partners that rang true. In it, she cites the changes that John Vitek, President of Saint Mary’s Press has made in response to 2009’s difficult economic climate. Vitek reflects, “Too many organizations get caught up – stuck, really — in the uncertainty, trying to cling to ‘yesterday’ or worrying about ‘tomorrow.’ The problem, of course, is that they miss the incredible opportunity that is right in front of them, right now. The key is to maximize every moment, focusing on what we can do excellently today!”
That’s the same “can do” attitude that I blogged about after talking with many inspiring exhibitors at this past year’s Hardware Show. They weren’t longing for yesterday or worrying about tomorrow. They were adapting their product lines and their strategies, but they were forging ahead. Worry and waiting don’t bring results. Only action does.
