I was facilitating a business coaching session today when the owner of the business surprised me with a challenging question. He asked me what I had learned in coaching business owners through this difficult year. Here are some of the crazy things that struck me.

• This year is like no other. There is no map to follow. Trends are broken. Comparing the business to last year does not help.
• If we listen real carefully to our customers they will help us revamp our products and services to closely match what they really want now.
• Every business is unique in how the recession has changed it. Some services and products are in higher demand now and others have been stagnant over the years and this is a wake up call for businesses to take action.
• If we can survive this year with the key contributors to the business intact and participating in bringing new ideas to the table, that is a fine accomplishment and should be commended.
• It's a time to reach out to others for assistance and assist others.
• If the team can learn to do more with less, bring services & products  to the customer quicker and cheaper than before, then they can be proud of revamping a good business to a great business for 2010.
• If we can learn to be nimble race car adjusting quickly to the road ahead and less of lumbering locomotive than we will be great in 2010.

I have never been so amazed than I have this year by the small business owner's depth of creativity and skills they apply to survive in a down market and the lessons they use to thrive in an up market. What have you learned and what skills are you honing this year?

http://biznik.com/articles/lessons-from-the-recession