Wagon News September 2022

August 30, 2022
2:25 pm
Wagon News

The Seasons of Business

By Amy Smith

On Thursday, September 22^nd we will experience the first day of Fall. More specifically, the autumnal equinox, usually occurring on September 22 or 23, means fall is officially here. Every year, many people can’t wait for the transformation from Summer to Fall. By the time Labor Day is over and school begins, it’s the anticipation for Fall to finally arrive.

Just like the weather seasons we experience, many of our businesses go through a certain business cycle. This cycle can play a huge part in how we make decisions for our marketing strategy and resources. “Seasons of Business” can help business owners determine what aspect of their business they are currently in, and strategies on moving forward.

Let’s look at an example of what the four seasons of business might look like:

Spring: Spring has been known as the season of birth. We are planting seeds for new growth. This season of “birth” is when a business can develop new marketing strategies, create excitement for a new brand, or hire new and innovative team members to help the seeds grow. This is the season of new and exciting ideas, creating energy, excitement, and anticipation around the office.

Summer: As Summer comes around, businesses may find that their seeds have started to blossom. Looking closely at a business plan, some “weeds” may need to be pulled while other “plants” continue to flourish. Nourishing projects, promoting your new brand, and forming new connections in a community can all be part of this season of your business.

Fall: As the Fall season is currently upon us, this is when a business may become more mature. Consistently tending to the garden may result in increased sales and brand awareness. The new marketing strategy designed in the Spring is continuing to flourish as businesses can continue to focus on their target audience, value proposition, brand messaging, and advertising opportunities.

Winter: This season may be a business’ time to reflect. Is your business strategy working or not? What do you need to change or let go? Where have you had the most success? As most of all, where do you want to take your business when Spring arrives?

As Fall is upon us, the leaves are changing color, our kids are back in school, and the holidays are fast-approaching. In business, no matter what season it is, each one of them gives us something we can use to our advantage to better our business. So, enjoy your hot cocoa by the fire, reflecting on a both your personal and business accomplishments!

How Can Small Businesses Benefit from SEO

Click Here

Cartoon

This cartoon comes to us courtesy of Breakthrough Visuals.

How fun is this? This gentleman has all the electronics!

Good Works in the Community

By Jennifer Troyan

Several of our staff here are fans and regularly donate to Goodwill so we are featuring them in our Good Works segment this month.

Goodwill Industries International is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization that has been around for almost 120 years! They are well known for people donating clothing and other items and for their thrift stores all over the country. They also have a robust program for job training in various industries. They have many career centers, making a difference in communities across the country and beyond.

On goodwill.org, they share their mission: Goodwill works to enhance people’s dignity and quality of life by strengthening their communities, eliminating their barriers to opportunity, and helping them reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.

They have served nearly 2 million people worldwide and have helped train over 100,000 people for new careers.

You can become a Goodwill sponsor, donate your stuff or financially, become an advocate or volunteer. There are many ways to support this organization.

Check them out: Goodwill

Business Spotlight

Fitness centers as we know them today have come a long way from how it all started.

In ancient Greece, the gymnasium was a place for the education & battle preparations for the Greek soldier and to prepare for the Olympic games. Not much changed until the middle of the 19^th Century when health and wellness became a priority for most people. During this time, schools helped to renew interest by growing their athletic programs across the country. In 1881 the Boston YMCA was the first to develop exercise classes which became the forerunner for the health club model that we have today.

In 1965, Gold’s Gym in Venice, California became the new standard for fitness centers and helped to grow awareness to the public even more. Starting in 1980 as demand steadily increased, many big chain franchises opened across the country such as LA Fitness, Crunch, Anytime Fitness, Curves, Planet Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness and more. Today’s consumers also have some gyms that have specialized facilities such as Cross Fit and Orange Theory.

Now a days, local community fitness centers have opened with great success as individuals look for a more personalized experience and smaller class sizes. Experts agree that joining a local gym helps develop a healthy routine and keep people motivated to participate on a regular basis. Local gyms are an excellent choice because it builds a community with similar goals. Local gyms typically also offer more time with the personal trainers and, for the most part, are more affordable. Many members develop lifelong friendships, and this helps to keep each member accountable and motivated.

Among the many fitness centers with us, some of the longest partnerships are 10+ year relationships. Special shoutout to these partners: The Airport Health Club (Santa Rosa, CA), Eastpointe Health & Fitness (Atlantic Highland, NJ), memorial Athletic Club (Houston, TX), Healthy Fit – The Health Club for Women (Mamaroneck, NY), and Hampshire Hills Sports and Fitness (Milford, NH).

Thank you to the many other fitness clubs, fitness class organizations, personal trainers and specialized health, wellness and fitness companies. We enjoy recommending you to the new movers across America.

Visit your local fitness center for more details. Stay healthy!

Fitness word art image courtesy of rawpixel