Are you in the 34% club?

How many businesses fail in the first year?  90%?  How many last 5 years or more?  How many 10 years?  People have come up to me this week congratulating Halo Applications for making it 10 years, and they've quoted me survival rates that are all over the board.  The  the typical compliment contains a nugget something along the lines of, "Most business fail to make it 10 years.  So, you must be doing something right."  I guess that could be true, but I looked it up anyways, just to make sure we weren't patting ourselves on the back too hard.

As it turns out, businesses have a pretty good shot at making it.  Data from the Census Bureau shows that 69 percent of new firms with employees survive at least two years, and that 51 percent survive at least five years. An independent analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 49 percent of new businesses survive for at least five years.
34 percent of new businesses cruise ten years or more, and 26 percent are still trucking after 15 years.  So, it's not all doom and gloom now, is it?  If you only hit the ball 34% of the time, you're a lock for the hall of fame.  The reality is, in my opinion, based upon my experience, if we can make it...anybody can make it.

But, still, a decade has gone by in a flash, and I feel like we are only now just beginning to hit our stride.  So if you dream of starting your own business, give it a shot!  It only takes a few things:  

1. Faith:  If God doesn't want you doing this, you're not going to be doing it.  And if God wants you doing it, you're going to survive whether you're a bonehead or not.  But, through all things by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God.  He'll answer and bless.  In fact, there's not another logical reason we should still be operating.  So, thanks and credit to whom it is due.
2. Great clients:  If you don't have great clients, people who you enjoy working with, then hang it up.  It's not worth it.  Great clients are happy for your success, and understand that we all screw up from time to time.  So, thanks to all our clients, many of whom have been with us since day one. 
3. Great team:  Not everybody who started with us in 2004 is still with us, but everybody has brought value to the table at one point in time (except that one guy...and he knows who he is).  In any case, thank you Team Halo.

I'm sure I could name a few more, but those are the most important to me.  

What are the most important to you.

Thank you all again for making this possible.

www.halogrouponline.com