Learning some lessons

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

I made up that phrase about ten years ago when I realized that the stock investments I'd made five years earlier had taken a nosedive, and I made the decision not to reinvest in the same stocks.

It came to mind again these past several weeks as I tried to take note of the lessons of last year. Do not, I told myself, repeat the mistakes you made over the past 12 months. Learn from them, but do not repeat them.

Loyal readers will recall everything I've done wrong over the past year, but just a few highlights for the new members: Ordering vast quantities of new typewriter models while the older ones still remain on the shelves, unsold; Buying commercial time on KZMO radio and being locked into a year-long contract; Inviting the KZMO morning show to do a remote broadcast from my Alta Coma store; "selling" some typewriters to an elderly lady who wrote me two bad checks; opening a new store in the next town without doing the proper due diligence as to whether or not it would be a successful venture.

Yes, there are more, but those are the major ones. The funny thing is, I had no idea they were bad ideas at all until at least a month afterward (except for the KZMO broadcast.. I knew that was bad right away).

So how do I start fresh in the new year? By strengthening my resolve, and by refocusing my marketing campaign to draw in more customers than I ever have before. My goal is to have the best year since I took over the family business all those years ago.

How does that happen? The ideas are churning in my mind. I won't reveal them just yet, dear readers, but be assured, I WILL be successful this year.

The customers are out there. I just have to find them.