Today is a new day. It’s the start of another month, March. With numerous global milestones kicking in, such as the markets hitting new highs, and the sequester here and now, I’m especially completive today. Maybe it’s the coffee (or lack of).
As you can see in the graphic, there is a time duration calculation. It reflects when I started SMB Nation, and now my company is 13 years, 4 months and one-day old! It’s a great time to ask the proverbial Pocket MBA strategic questions of:
- Where have we been?
- Where are we now?
- Where are we going?
I’ll answer each individually.
Where have we been? Clearly the past 13+ years have been a fantastic ride. Upon tendering my resignation at Clark Nuber in the late 1990s, I started the following Monday as an author for Windows Small Business Server and a faculty member at Seattle Pacific University. I could go on and on about the highs and lows of building and running a company for the past 13+ years, but many readers have similar yarns to spin based on their own life journey.
Where are we now? Today we sit in the enviable position of being a well-received and honored SMB IT Pro community. Just today, Redmond Channel Partner gave us a shout out here that’s always appreciated. Short story is that we’re in a period of reflective transition from the SBS-era to the next great thing. Hopefully we’ll be invited into your minds and hearts as we team as a community on this new journey.
Where are we going? Ross Perot said it best: “Fast Fast.” Having just lost Jeremiah Ilges last month to his battle with cancer, I’ve looked in the mirror and had a little chat with myself. Running the date duration calculator is something I recommend for everyone, including my staff. It forces you to confront the question of: “Exactly what have I accomplished these past 13+ years?” What revenue did I bring in? Is the world a richer and kinder place for my contribution? Did I treat people as I want to be treated? More important – what adjustment can I make right here, right now for the next 4,870 days?!?!?
Have a great weekend!
