East Penn Chamber- 2020 Connections Article

 Jeff Mcelhaney, Edward Jones
​East Penn Chamber Chair

Welcome to the roaring 20’s! That’s going to be our theme in East Penn. As 2020 has arrived, our vision is clear, and our community is thriving. We want to build on that momentum and continue to enhance our ability as an organization to build partnerships, sup- port local businesses, non-profits, and municipalities. 


One great example of building networks and partnerships comes from our friends and owners of EBC Printing, Murtaza and Mustafa. They, and their staff, have been strong supporters of local business and wonderful supporters of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber as a whole. They recently have renovated and will be moving to a new enhanced facility to serve their clients on Hamilton Blvd. In their process of growing their business they partnered 100% with local businesses that are GLV Chamber members! They see the value of partnership and community and I simply wanted to say thank you and congratulations on your new location! And thank you for your commitment to the East Penn Community. 


January brings a fresh start for many, as resolutions are made and often new business plans kick into gear. In either case I encourage you to have a process when it comes to creating and executing your plan; in business, or personally. 


All good plans start with a strong vision. This should be inward facing. Where you see yourself in a year, 3, 5, or ten years, depending on the scope. Make this motivating to you. What makes you want to get out of bed everyday and drives you to success?

The second step is SMART objectives. That is, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Bound Goals.  This should NOT be all encompassing. You should not list every daily activity you do here, but simply one or two objectives that you want to accomplish this year (ie. X to Y by when). 


The third step is more important than step 2. Create a few, one to three actionable strategies, that if executed will get you closer to achieving your objective. If you have a team, make sure that everyone on the team has a strategy to help achieve the objective. 


You all probably do the first three steps in some form or fashion, but the fourth step is where the magic happens. In fact, research finds that only 25% of us actively complete step 4. The secret to getting results and achieving your objectives is actively measuring your progress! 


Peter Drucker, one of the greatest business guru’s of our time, said, “What gets measured, gets improved”. Take time each week, or every other week, to review whether you’ve been executing on your strategies. If you have great and keep track/keep score. If not, ask your- self why, and adjust your plan, or your strategies to lead you to success! 

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From the East Penn Chamber, we wish you a Happy New Year and much success in the roaring 20’s!

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