Business Sucks In Bellingham…

during the months of February & March according to a recent Herald article.

This is terribly fascinating for me because it reflects what I have observed about Bham for the past 7 years from a (spiritual) perspective. These past years, my wife & I have annually prepared ourselves for the winter blues. We’ve preached in anticipation of it, trying to prepare our people for it, trying to equip them against things like depression, discouragement, burn-out. The funny thing is, no matter how hard we try to prepare for it, numbers always decrease, people get in a funk for no good reason other than the weather, discouragement becomes rife.

So it’s fascinating to hear these finds confirmed from a business standpoint, only the biz folks are telling us…

- not to fight it, but rather to roll with the punches. And that makes so much stinking sense to me now. All these years fighting an uphill battle… but according to reporter Dave Gallagher and Tom Dorr, director at Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center (who I will quote at length) we ought to use these “dark” months as a time for rest, taking care of ourselves, and going back to the drawing board (but not throwing in the towel). Bravo. This article has its’ fingers on the pulse of Bellingham.

Says Dorr and Gallagher:

Dorr said this is a typical time of year for small-business owner burnout, and it’s not just because of rain and colds.

Really? You mean… we’re not alone?

“For many business owners, February and March is when cash flow is at an all-time low… by focusing on how few people are walking in the door, it can be depressing.”

Amen to that.

Dorr said when it’s slow, he advises owners to take some time off.

That’s a novel idea. Intentionally accept the slow months as resting months – instead of trying to fight it all the time…

“You have to trust that the business will come back. It’s a perfect time to take care of yourself or work on strategic issues. Doing a little strategic planning can build direction and confidence,” Dorr said.

That sounds like “faith” to me. Re-working strategic issues – that’s EXACTLY what I found myself doing this month. Only you guys put it in writing. Bravo. “Taking care of yourself” – I’m too busy re-strategizing.

Of course, with daylight savings kicking in today, we’re all dealing with one less hour of sleep. However, it also means spring is on the way, and the sunshine has a way of recharging everyone.

Yes, but judging from my past experience, don’t expect the floodgates to re-open again just because the sun is out. Carefully re-thinking the drawing board is necessary during the dark months so when the light months return we can re-build momentum that was irreversibly lost over winter.

“It’s amazing how a few sunny days can fight that fatigue factor,” Dorr said. “But doing the basics first, such as a detailed business plan to figure out what you can and can’t do, is even more important.”

What we can and cannot do. What defines our niche. What are our achievable goals. What are our target markets / niche. What product are we really offering. How’s that for beginners, Tom? Gallagher? Pls? Be my friend?…