MAY 2018 – President’s article by Scott Welsh

The great motivator Zig Ziglar penned a quote I’ll always remember: “You are a success when you have made friends with the past, are focused on the present, and are optimistic about your future”.  This time of year is a great time to check in on your business goals.  As business leaders we are often so focused on our daily tasks that we forget to check in on the big picture.  I often ask small business owners “so, how’s business”?  It’s easy to tell the ones who have goals.  They respond with things like “good, better than last year, or “we’re up over same month last year”.  Business will always do two things:  go up or go down. It’s important to take stock in your pacing to goal.  Corporate America is driven by metrics.  They use intricate methods and systems to help them determine important factors like share of business, pacing of their local market, and overall growth of their industry segment.  As small business owners, we don’t always have that information available, but we can set goals and timelines to help us stay on track.  Setting specific and measurable goals can be key to help your growth and track your marketing efforts. There are literally hundreds of approaches available with a little research.  Plan your work, work your plan.

The city of Redlands recently adopted its General Plan – a 20 year plan for everything from land use, housing, and beautification, to continuing a focus on preserving our historical heritage.  Not many of us have a 20 year plan, but an annual, or 3 to 5 year plan is doable!

What does the city plan mean for your business? Why is this important?  Find out by attending the Annual State of the Community Luncheon on June 22, 12:00pm at the Orton Center. The Chamber of Commerce hosts this sold out event each year to highlight where we’ve come from, and where are we going.   Mayor Paul Foster and our city leaders offer an inside look at how we are pacing to goal in recent years, and where we are headed.  The theme:  Keeping the Promise.  I am personally very excited each year to hear about our goals and focus of our community. It’s good to hear from our leadership about planning, implementing, and executing a worthwhile direction.  As the father of three young adults, I think it’s important to know how we are setting up our community for the next generation, and to know how I can position my business for the greatest success.  The program always includes special recognition to our local Heroes – people who stand out in serving our community and Annual Beautification Awards for commercial property improvement.  There is no doubt that if you can attend only one event this year – this is it.  It is a perfect example of the business community, private sector, and your local government coming together to showcase our current state of affairs.

The luncheon is sponsored by a host community focused businesses like The Ayre’s Hotel, Alta Vista Credit Union, Redlands Community Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California Gas Company,
Welsh Insurance Services, Brixton Capital, Teamsters Local 1932, Redlands Professional Firefighters, and the Redlands Police Officers Association.  Get your tickets ($40 per person) as soon as they become available!  For more information or to make your reservation, checkout redlandschamber.org, or call the Chamber office at 909-793-2546.  They will sell out.

Here’s to achieving all your business goals in 2018.