It’s just after 6:00 am on a Friday morning and I have my temporary "camp" set up in a corner booth in my local Panera. It’s my favorite part of the day! Everything always seems clearer and easier to wrap my mind around early in the morning. The vision of what I call my "big picture" appears closer to a reality. However, like many of you, as the daily events kick in, the big picture quickly fades into the background. I try to use this time of the day to think about what’s important, not urgent. One of the most valuable resources you as a MHEDA member has to keep you focused on the "important" is the 2016 Critical Impact Factors. Your MHEDA Board spends a lot of time and effort analyzing many sources and having meaning discussions to generate this list. It contains many of the current factors which will most likely have an impact on your business. I’m reviewing the list this morning and thinking about the year ahead of us. As I do, I’m noticing the Panera is quickly filling up with more and more people. There is clearly a "buzz" throughout the crowd this morning. The tone is upbeat; people are joking around, and interacting with one another. I look around and there’s clearly a feeling of optimism and excitement. If this "sample group" is any indicator of how the rest of the consumers are feeling, I’m extremely optimistic. As you review the Critical Impact factors, you’ll notice many of the items focus on planning and preparing your business for the ever changing business landscape. Three of the main items our company is focusing on are technology, consolidation/mergers, and company culture. Critical Impact Factors 1, 2, 8, and 9 all include some form of technical […]