Independence Day is here, and now we are looking down the barrel of the second half of 2022. It’s halftime if you will; and a perfect time to take a few minutes to look at where we’ve been and where we’re headed!
In a college football game, the coaches take the 15 minutes at halftime to formulate the next 30 minutes of play and so should you.
Look at finances
Where do you stand? Are you about halfway towards your projected revenues? If not, what can you do to try and make it up? What about expenses? Break it down by category and by month so you can truly see where the money is going, and when. Is everything where it should be? Are you over (or under) budget in any areas? If so, you will need to make corrections to keep your finances in the black. Remember, sometimes it is cheaper to outsource and delegate—believe it or not.
Look at marketing
It is easier to nail Jello to a tree than it is to track your marketing efforts. The best we can often do is a SWAG (silly wild-ass guess), but a SWAG is better than nothing. Look at all your marketing vehicles for the past six months. Did the Facebook ads perform better than Google ads? Did that local strawberry festival do amazing things for you? Make a diligent effort to pinpoint the source for all of your bookings and adjust accordingly.
Look at your attitude
Are you fit to be in this business? It is not as dumb a question as it may seem. People do business with people they like. If you are not likable, your business will suffer—hard stop. People change. Industries change. Industries change people. Periodically evaluate yourself to see if you are still a good fit. If travel still enthralls you and you thrive on speaking to people about their dreams, you are probably OK. But, if you spend most days whining about the glory days of owning a travel agency, maybe you should re-evaluate your position in the industry or within your own business. Maybe a less people-facing role might be appropriate. I know plenty of owners who operate entirely in the back room having never come face-to-face with a client. Ever!
Look ahead
And finally, hit the ground running. Halftime is over. It’s the first full week of the second half of the year and there are only 26 more weeks to make all the magic happen. Look at what you did. Adjust as needed to get back on track if you are off. Now let’s get back on that field and kick some butt for the rest of the game!
