Am I Investing Enough in My Business to keep it Alive?

Blog JAN11, Issue 4
Part 4 of 4

Rechecking My Numbers with my Goals.
"Earth - Ground yourself in finding the true way" (Miyamoto Musashi)

Being in business as a web developer for a couple decades doing pretty much the same type of service, there are a few ruts you can fall into. I myself have succumbed to a few. In fact, early on - one particular rut is complacency. Although this doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal to a 9-5’er, to an entrepreneur and to someone who develops software – it’s a dangerous position to live. What woke me up from this rut was security. Enduring and overcoming my first hack, I really had to sit down and take a hard look at what my goals were going to be, especially in this new and scary world.

Having your server hacked is a terrible ordeal but I believe it’s necessary for a web developer and/or programmer in that it helps you grow, especially if you’re new hacker keeps coming back around. However it does make you realize there is a huge need of committed investment now to keep the business alive and growing. This realization prompted me to spend a dedicated amount of time in 5 main areas that today I cannot live without. They are: 1) Increasing and Adaptable Knowledge. 2) Sticking to my Goals and Game plan no matter what. 3) Being Teachable. 4) Being Flexible. 5) Rechecking 1-4.

As technology changes, search engines create new ways to index, databases and new code are proven to be vulnerable and new and improved ways to automate, process and deliver data are being discovered, a web developer must take the time to research, read and test and retest. Same holds true for being teachable as these new innovations and discoveries can sometimes contradict or even confuse already popularly used processes in applications. Check out SQL Injection for example.

Maintaining flexibility was that hardest thing for me in the beginning because I just didn’t want to submit to Google and Yahoo. I had some principles that felt how could they could tell us how to code to make their lives easier in including our websites and that some sort of other innovator would lead the way in search and prove this to them. But although that may happen, it hasn’t yet and once I learned to work with them, I benefitted anyway.

But the overall life-teaching guideline that has come back to haunt and taunt me through all these years is sticking to my goals and game plan no matter what. To be sure, not keeping in line with this has cost me and taught me some of the most painful lessons to date, even into my personal life. Knowing what your plan is first, but sticking to that plan will help you achieve those goals and it keeps you grounded when all the things around you change all the time.

Knowing the true way in the direction I set my path on is a day-by-day, minute-by-minute quest that I must press on towards to enjoy stability, financial success and personal achievement. And when I think I got it all figured out and I am doing ok, I need to always remember to recheck to make sure the steps I took and are taking are still in line with the with the game plan. Once your goals are set it also makes it easier to check all the things you need to ensure your success.

It's good to check and recheck everything. From my online presence to how I compare to my competition. From my profit and loss to a check on my goals and game plan. All in all it's hard work, dedication and review. It's tough not only in this recession but in this free market against my competition. However, the more I consistently do these things, the better I can interpret, direct and influence my success.