Here we go again.  Another year has begun and we all are looking forward to brighter days.  So what are you doing to make today better than yesterday?  Yes, it is up to you to make change happen.  If you really think the government or anyone else for that matter is going to save the day, you need to wake up and do a reality check.  In other words, quit making excuses and start doing something to improve your situation.

I believe that as our society has grown, it has become easier to get lost in the crowd.  Many people have chosen to leave their responsibility for being a productive, caring human being to “the man”.  Unfortunately, “the man” doesn’t really care about you and your dreams and will always put its self- interest first.

So, what to do?  First, step off that wheel you’re on and take some time to reflect on what you’re trying to accomplish.  It’s okay to have dreams, but it’s even better to have a plan that you will follow to make them a reality.  All of the greatest accomplishments, whether personal or in business started with one person having an idea.  What is your idea?

Next, move your idea forward.  You do this by surrounding yourself with people who believe what you believe.  Share your ideas with them and keep moving forward.  Don’t worry, there will be plenty of unexpected forks in the road along the way.  You need to accept that your “plan” needs to be flexible so you can quickly adapt.  Holding on to your “perfect idea/plan” can cause your fast sailing boat to quickly stop as you drop the anchor.  Being able to trim your sails with the changing wind will allow you to gain momentum and keep moving toward the realization of your dream.

Until next time….may your fresh start to a new year release the independent doer within you.

How will you do in 2012?  I think the key to your business’s success is pretty simple.  It all comes down to execution.

For many, this is easier said than done.  You’re either  going to dig deep inside and turn the switch from pilot light to ON or you will move through 2012 with a lot of talk about what you need to do.

Step 1:  Ignite the pilot light

Step 2:  Turn the switch to on

Step 3:  Prepare for lift off

Step 4:  Set your sights on immediate short-term success

Step 5:  Move quickly to get your first win

Step 6:  Celebrate each victory with your team

Step 7:  Implement your next strategy

Step 8:  Repeat steps 4-7!

With each success, you will find the fire building within.  Capitalize on this momentum.  Plan on less talking about “it” and more doing “it” as you walk down the path you desire.

Until next time…soar to new heights with your flame aglow and leave the hot air behind.

The vineyard manager showed them what grapes to pick.  It was now their turn.  Away they went snipping and clipping away.  Grape bunches were quickly filling their plastic bins.  The full-time vineyard crews were quickly moving past the newbies and although I didn’t understand their comments I could tell by their tone that they knew these folks couldn’t keep up with them and would surely collapse under the heat of the rising sun.

Oh boy, everyone was having such a good time.  The team spirit was flying high and  even when the vineyard foreman pointed out grapes being missed, they would quickly correct their mistakes.  That’s the fun part – being able to walk in someone else’s shoes for the moment.  It allows you to learn something new but at the same time provides a greater appreciation for what is really involved.

For the hospitality team, they walked away with a few new blisters and a great story to share with their guests arriving later that day.  But even greater is the fact that each employee recognized that they are part of a team that requires everyone to be at their best to achieve success.

Until next time…try walking in another’s shoes sometime and discover how important they are to you.

What about you?  What do you want to do?  Will your time be filled with travel, helping in the community or just not having a schedule?  All of the above sounds like a start but what else?  Obviously, I am not ready to retire because I am still worried about having a list to check off.

Recently we had a family vacation in Maui.  My kids are young adults which made this vacation even more special.  This year we enjoyed a true vacation as the kids volunteered to cook dinner and clean-up.  Many an evening I sat on our lanai sipping a beverage while watching the sunset with no schedule on hand – it was a nice vision for retirement.   But how realistic is that?

So here I sit wondering if retirement will be all that it is cracked up to be.  I think before I get to that day I am going to take it for a test drive.

Until next time…how do you see your sunset years?

What direction are you sailing?  The wine industry is showing positive signs that the storm has passed and a bright future is just beyond the horizon.  However, I don’t think the industry can fall into a false sense of security that it is going to be the good old days again.  I have heard a lot of chatter that the customer has changed.  They are looking for a deal or not purchasing.  I think there is something else at play.

The day of order-taking is over!  The perception of value lies in the impression that you give your guest and nowhere else.  What can you do to improve their impression?  Based upon the typical tasting room experience, there is plenty to be done.

I recently visited two tasting rooms one afternon in the Napa Valley.  The first was a famous destination where I was part of a private tasting.  The grounds were beautiful!  The tasting? Well it was so so.  The wines were pretty good, but I was looking for more…not wine, but an experience.  So, down the road I went.

My next stop was at a small family-owned winery.  The grounds were nothing special.  The tasting room consisted of a folding table with the barrel room just beyond the wall.  The tasting…awesome!  Why?  An employee who loved his job and the family he worked for!  It showed in everything he did.  The surprise for me was to see the owner/vintner in the tasting room the entire time I was there.  He met the guests and chatted with them.  Here was someone who knew how to separate his winery from so many others.  It wasn’t an over the top facility…just the opposite.  The wines…incredible.  But most of all, it was people who loved building relationships with others.

As the wine industry continues to move forward, I hope that many will step up and improve their guest experience.  It truly is the value consumers are looking for.  Just remember that each person coming in contact with your winery is a guest first!  Customer second! Wine Club member third! Ambassador for life!

Until next time…which way will you sail?

Why is it that young pups believe the next big customer lies just around the corner?  What’s not to love about this optimism?  For in it exists the creative drive often needed to reach people. 

I just read a report that said social media had no impact on retail sales.  Does this mean we should all abandon SM?  Of course not.  SM is still very young and there is a lot to be learned.  I would argue that SM is a unique platform for connecting with people.  More importantly, it is a place for those who share a common interest to stay connected with you.  Strengthening your relationship with existing customers is going to be more profitable than trying to lure the next guest to your website to purchase wine. 

We have all seen the impact television can have on influencing consumers with one-way communication.  Imagine the impact your winery can have when a dialog is formed.  This is where I believe the real power of SM lies for the small business.  Learning how to keep this channel open and active with interesting conversations will be the challenge.  What do you think?

Until next time…make sure you know what you’re hunting.

Growing your business is what you’re supposed to do, right?  Talk to any business leader or member of academia — they will tell you that without growth you will eventually die.  Sure, if your business never grew and your expenses continued to rise you would eventually lose money.  But what about right NOW?

With the economy starting to move forward, most companies are happy to see any sign of growth.  But how do we define growth?  Typically we look at sales year over year.  Since we hit the bottom in 2009, any kind of growth feels good.  But maybe we shouldn’t be so excited about comparing 2010 to 2009.  Maybe we should be comparing our current sales with 2006 or 2007 to see how much progress we have truly made.

How can growth be a bad thing?  Sales growth, without a clear picture of the impact it can have on cash flows can be devastating to a business.  Most businesses are already cash-strapped. They have tapped into both their rainy day fund and their lines of credit just to stay afloat during this recession.  As sales begin to grow, so will their required investment in inventory and accounts receivable.  These two assets are often misunderstood when it comes to cash flow.

Let’s start with accounts receivable.  AR represents what your customers owe you for the products or services you have sold them.  As your sales grow, so will your accounts receivable.  With this growth comes a delay in cash received.  Even if your customers pay you on time, this incremental growth may squeeze your bank account.  As a general rule your AR should grow at the same rate as your credit sales.  If the rate of growth in AR exceeds your credit sales growth, your collection times are growing. This can have a serious negative impact on cash.

Inventory is a black hole when it comes to cash.  Whether you’re a retailer or a manufacturer, when it comes to inventory, you are walking a tightrope. You must balance your need to have enough inventory on-hand to meet sales demand against the high cost of carrying excess inventory.  Ideally, you need a way to predict what demand will be.  Any slowdown in sales could result in excess inventory (i.e. cash) sitting on your shelf while your day to day expenses (cash out) continue.

Now is the time to have a good cash forecast in place.  You need to understand the squeeze your growth is going to put on your already weak cash and credit position.  One wrong move could spell disaster, just when you thought you were on the road to success.

Until next time…understanding where you’re going can reduce the detours along the way.

It was sunrise the day after Christmas when I captured the picture above from my son’s kitchen window.  How appropriate that the morning began with a fresh layer of snow.  There is something peaceful about seeing the snow drape the trees. For me, there is no better way to close out 2010. 

With 2011 just getting underway, I can’t think of a better time to clear the slate and have a fresh start.  This past year has been challenging for the wine industry but there are many positive signs that the economy is moving forward. 

I expect to see Napa Valley 2010 wine sales up at least 10% over 2009 but we have a long way to go before we are back to the highs of 2007.  Wineries will continue to focus on depleting older vintages as they try to get back to a normal release schedule.  With the short harvest in 2008 I expect that many wineries will be able to get back on track by 2012. 

Challenges still abound in the California market as wine sales continue to struggle to grow.  Like past recessions, California is usually the last to enter the slow down and the last to recover.  With the looming state budget deficit and double digit unemployment it may take 3 to 5 years for our economic engine to fire on all cylinders. 

Strategies should be focused on boosting your presence in local markets to help support your distributor.  The more you can do to help educate the restaurant staff about your wines, the better.  The market is crowded with a lot of great choices so getting your wine at the top of a server’s mind is going to take some effort.

Renewed focus on your direct to consumer sales will continue to be an important strategy.  As your customers regain confidence and increase their wine purchases, you want to make sure they remember you.  Keep your contact with them fresh all year long.  It’s time to be creative and to push your hospitality to the next level. 

For those folks visiting your winery for the first time what will be their impression?  We often forget that many people are visiting the Napa Valley for the first time.  Make sure your hospitality team is fresh and go out of their way to help serve your guests.  Even if a sale doesn’t happen on that first visit your team is planting impression seeds that have the potential to bear fruit down the road.

Until next time…let this month be your chance for a fresh start to a properous 2011.

This little fawn sure looks attached to her Mom.  As she grows, the fawn will watch and  learn and pick up all  of the pointers she needs to survive.  Eventually it will be time for her to break away and venture out on her own. 

In the current economy,  the day to day challenges of doing business have caused many owners to rely on instinct.  They resort to practices that have worked in the past. For some, past approaches will prove to be useful.  For others, these approaches could prove to be their downfall.  For example, if you were lucky enough to ride the wave of an unprecedented boom time, with loose operational controls, no clear vision, and limited team communication, you may not have the tools you need to address the challenges of  today’s marketplace.

NOW is the time to fill your toolbox with the tools you need to move your business in the right direction. Constant education and learning  is vital to finding new ideas for problem-solving  and to build on your past successes.

This fawn is learning each day from her mother. When she breaks away, she will surely encounter new obstacles that will require adjustments and creative solutions.  Each new experience will provide an opportunity for this maturing deer to learn and grow.

As you continue along your path, I encourage you to look for educational opportunities for you and your team.  Any investment you make today will go a long way in strengthening the foundation of your business.  Your job is to recognize opportunities that come before you and then seize the moment so that you can move your business forward.

Until next time…are you ready to break away?

May has quickly come to a close and the wildflowers are appreciating the rain and occasional bursts of warmth this past month.  Now what lies ahead for the Napa Valley?  I know the wildflowers will continue to paint the landscape with their beauty and the vineyards will soon begin to flower with fruit set following shortly. 

Will the buzz (not from bees) of tourists return to our hotels and inns?  2009 tourism was off only slightly from 2008 while overnight travel was down significantly.  This meant we had a lot of day trippers in the valley who were holding on tightly to their wallets. 

2010 is shaping up to be a pretty good year so far.  The roadways are filling and the cash registers are ringing.   Many wineries are preparing to release  their long awaited 2007 vintage.   2007 is showing really well and is expected to be in high demand.  Ah, music to a vintner’s ear.

So what are your plans to welcome back our visitors from near and far?  People are still looking for a good value. 

Now there is an over used word of late, “value”.   Does value mean you give away the store to make a sale?  Discounting is the easy way out.  What value is created by lowering your price?  A changed perception may result but that isn’t necessarily considered a value. 

I think everyone just wants to be appreciated for their willingness to come to your winery.  Considering a visitor only chooses 3 or 4 wineries to visit,  we shouldn’t take for granted that the same folks are going to show up each year.  Humans are pretty predictable but they are not a flock of migrating birds that return to the same place annually. 

Given that we may only have one shot to make a lasting impression wouldn’t it be in your best interest to make sure your team is at the top of their game?  It takes effort and passion to be successful.  This holds true for everyone on your team, but especially your frontline people who interact with guests.  This is why it is so important to hire the right people and to continually support them in improving their skills. 

I encourage you to try new ways to share your winery’s message.  Use the beginning of the week to test various strategies.  Over the course of the week you can fine tune and decide if your strategy is ready for the high volume of Friday through Sunday.  It is much better to learn from your mistakes at the beginning of the week than to try and recover from a weekend failure.

Until next time…may your wildflowers continue to blossom – bringing new ideas and energy for capturing your guests’ imagination.