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www.rurallifestyledealer.com/articles/4364-failing-to-succeed

Failing to Succeed

August 3, 2015

Start making mistakes and start succeeding. Inc. magazine columnist Carey Smith warns against seeking business expert advice without factoring in what you can learn from making mistakes.

“It's like buying a suit off the rack. Someone designed that garment to mostly fit a large number of people, which means it doesn't fit anyone perfectly. Every business is unique. Even two McDonald's franchisees in the same city have different businesses because they're on different corners. Like a well-made suit, learning how to run your business comes at a cost. If you think that means spending $23.99 at the bookstore, you're on the wrong track. The only valid currency here is your own time and failure,” Smith writes.

This perspective is a good fit for the rural lifestyle market. The diversity of our customer base combined with the constant new model introductions means your business can start fresh on a regular basis. And taking risks with sales and marketing and even new hires could mean you make lots of mistakes. Be open to the fact that mistakes could be just what you need to grow your dealership.

 Read Carey Smith’s column.

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Lynn Marcinkowski Woolf

Lynn Marcinkowski Woolf was managing editor of Rural Lifestyle Dealer. Prior to that, she was a contributing writer for Rural Lifestyle Dealer and Farm Equipment magazines before becoming editor in 2012. She previously covered agriculture as a freelance writer for several industry publications. Lynn also worked in public relations and marketing and earned her accreditation in public relations. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and lives on a third-generation family farm in Kansas. Contact: lwoolf@lessitermedia.com