New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. As I look forward to 2008, there is room for tremendous optimism, but success will require change. My first WhatTheyThink column for 2008 seemed like an opportunistic time for me to share some thoughts on the New Year’s resolutions I hope you are thinking about.

1. Properly Position Your Business and Product/Service Offerings

Positioning determines how your business, products, and services are perceived by your desired target market in relation to the competition. It answers the question, “Why will someone in my identified target market(s) buy my product or service instead of a competitor’s?” Positioning is intimately related to the core distinctive competencies that a firm has or can develop.