If you have been in this business for any length of time, most likely you have gone through some stages of growth. Businesses, too, have a life of their own. They start small and grow up, much like kids do. While leading an AMI class, I drifted away from the topic at hand and started to explain the stages that most businesses go through. I had thought long and hard about this subject after reading an article about it at my bank. Just like a child that you raise, the stages are at times awe-inspiring and other times extremely frustrating. Many shop owners approached me after that class and commented on how helpful it was to understand what had happened to their business and themselves over the years. I realized that I had hit a nerve. That's always a great moment for an instructor.
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