Merge is wrapping up year number six, and I may be a couple of weeks early to do this, but I wanted to review the past year or so to see what lessons I’ve learned. I hope you can glean something.

Overall, I’ve found that the business clichés and principles come true, if you hang in there long enough:

1. If you plan it, it will happen. Call it magic. Call it subconscious. Call it execution. I wrote a business plan last year for 2007, and hadn’t looked at it since. Recently I picked it up to review and was amazed that we had accomplished 98% of what we planned to do (though we didn’t necessarily proactively go about accomplishing the plan). It’s as if subconsciously we were accomplishing the plan (although we strategically did execute several components). Because of this, I’m going to set my goals higher for 2008, because if we’re going to subconsciously achieve our goals, they might as well be big ones.

2. You won’t be rewarded without risk. I’ve always shoe-stringed my operation and was proud of my no-debt approach to growing a business. It can be done, but it severely restricts the upside. 2007 I chose to risk much more. The reward in turn, followed the risk. We’ll be risking even more in 2008.

3. Be relentless with the vision. Always have your vision before you. Know where you’re going, figure out how you’re going to get there and just start doing it. I guess this is point 1 and 2 combined. A plan without action is a dream. Action without a plan is foolishness. What I learned on this point, looking back or hearing from my wife, “You’ve been saying that for 3 years,” is that for 2008 I’m going to act faster, as long as it’s congruent with the plan. Merge will trust the plan and act accordingly.