Well, here at Team Venuti, we’re starting in on the first “full” work week of the year here in the Newtown Square, PA area and staring down the barrel of another “interesting” year ahead. So many people are breathing a sigh of relief about 2013 being behind us, and I don’t blame them.
But one of the other nice parts of starting a new year is that we can now take a good, cold look back at our predictions and goals for 2013 — and evaluate how we did. Today’s big question: did you meet yours?
If not, it’s a good idea to review why you didn’t — and be extra sure not to play the blame game with anyone but yourself. You are the only thing you can truly control, after all.
[And, may I also interest you in a listing of new and expired tax provisions for 2014? Yes? Your friendly Newtown Square, PA-area tax accountant says go HERE: http://taxfoundation.org/blog/out-extenders-new-obamacare-taxes ]
I also know that we “enjoyed” a healthy dose of expert opinion this past week, making predictions for the new year, analyzing the one past for Newtown Square, PA. But here’s the thing: history is littered with the detritus of horrible predictions made by individual experts.
Which is why I prefer the wisdom of crowds, markets, trends and real-world statistics.
So, in light of all those who have been predicting this and that about the political, economic, and/or business landscape, I thought I’d provide a bit of a light-hearted takedown of “expert opinion”. These are some of my favorites…
Newtown Square, PA Accountant: “Gotta Love Those Guru Predictions!”
“Figure out what you want. Focus on it. Find people who have achieved what you want and find out how they think and act, and then follow their lead.” -Bill Harris
Before you rush to change all of your social media marketing to SnapChat and Instagram, or chase after other “expert” predictions for 2014, consider …
“The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys,”
-Sir William Preece, chief engineer at the British Post Office, 1878
“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?”
-H.M. Warner, Warner Bros., 1927
“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers,”
-Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
“Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night,”
-Darryl Zanuck, 20th Century Fox, 1946
“The world potential market for copying machines is 5,000 at most,”
-IBM executives to the eventual founders of Xerox, 1959
“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home,”
-Ken Olsen, founder of mainframe-producer Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
“No one will need more than 637 kb of memory for a personal computer—640K ought to be enough for anybody,”
-Bill Gates, Microsoft, 1981
“Next Christmas the iPod will be dead, finished, gone, kaput,”
-Sir Alan Sugar, British entrepreneur, 2005
As computer scientist Alan Kay said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
And, I fully agree — but with this adjustment: the best way to predict the future for YOUR business is to set *measurable* goals and with quantifiable actions attached to those goals. Don’t be distracted by the rush of technology or the clamor of the marketplace — focus on what YOU will do to make 2014 your best year yet.
I would ask that you forward this article to a Newtown Square, PA business associate or client you know who could benefit from our assistance–or simply send them our way. While these particular articles relate to business strategy, as you know, we specialize in tax preparation and planning for Newtown Square, PA families and business owners. And we always make room for referrals from trusted sources like you.
Warmly (and until next week),
Stephen Venuti
610-353-0686
