As I sit on my patio, admiring the vibrant colors of autumn, I can’t help but consider that another summer has ended and that we are now well into autumn. In a few days, my daughter and I will embark on our annual fall day in the woods, photographing nature’s splendor and enjoying time together. Like magic, the trees change their colors from green to red, yellow, and gold, and we’re there, cameras in hand, to capture the images. It’s just one more example of God’s hand at work, bringing joy to His children.
Business, too, is in a transitional period. As summer’s flurry of activity wraps up, companies and communities are racing to complete their 2012 projects while setting budgets and making plans for the new year. With the Presidential election just around the corner, our team is working alongside clients to develop plans to move forward, regardless of which candidate wins. The feeling is that the United States economy is on the verge of something very big, and our challenge is to be ready for any scenario.
At Brand Acceleration, anticipation is building for another outstanding year. Our economic development clients are challenging them to bring bigger and better ideas to help them satisfy the huge demands of audiences such as site selection consultants, real estate professionals and c-suite executives with expansion demands. Just home from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Convention in Houston, Texas, I found huge interest in our Economic Dashboard. This information-packed web tool adds a level of data to community web sites that they can’t even imagine. Plus, the content is dynamic, meaning their staff never has to touch it.
For our AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) clients, there’s a growing feeling that 2013 is going to bring a level of activity they haven’t seen in years. For us, that means they are rapidly moving forward with plans for new web sites and other tools to reach out to industries such as higher education, K-12 schools, health care and numerous others. For many, the feeling is “We’re not ready!” That’s where we come in.
Like the Biblical message in Ecclesiastes 3.1 and the 1965 Byrds hit, (Turn Turn Turn) “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” As the colors Turn, Turn, Turn, and the holidays draw near, we’re counting our blessings every day and looking forward to an even better year of renewal in 2013.
I’d love to hear from you, too. Feel free to share your thoughts and personal experiences below.