SANDPOINT CHAMBER: What is within our control

There are a lot of things we all would like to have more control over: the weather, our elected officials, customer preferences, and whatever else you have on your wish list. As individuals, there are only three things over which we have complete control: our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions. In business, especially as a business owner, you have a great deal of influence. You get to decide what products and services you will offer, how you will price, and deliver them. You have influence over who you hire, and who you will retain, on your team, but you don’t have complete control of any of these things. There are always external, mitigating factors that will impact your decisions on the products and services you sell. New tariffs, government regulations, and availability can impact your decisions. You want the best skilled and the brightest employees, but attracting and retaining qualified staff is challenging.  

In my past business experience in the retail industry, I always found it interesting when a Store Manager would explain why they had a bad sales day based on bad weather: “No one was out shopping because of the rain/snow/hail/etc.” Good weather was often used as an excuse too: “It was such a beautiful day! Everyone was enjoying the beach/lake/park rather than shopping.” In my role at the Chamber, I am hearing some talk about the impact of lack of Canadian visitors. Business was definitely impacted during COVID and the border closure. Now we are seeing a decrease of Canadian visitors due to politics and shifting cultural sentiment. In both instances, local businesses had, and have, no control or even influence over the decrease in traffic from Canada. 

So, what can be controlled? What is fully within your control is how prepared you are for the day's business. Are you approaching the day with optimism and encouragement with your team? Are you maintaining high standards of excellence, cleanliness, and service? Is your sales team trained with great product knowledge? Have you invested in their training and in developing their skills? Are you looking at other areas of opportunity that you may have considered in the past, or brand-new ideas that could be helpful in this current environment? You may be familiar with the saying “Necessity is the mother of all invention.” The bottom line is: when the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it.  

Rather than spending another moment of your time worrying or talking about the weather, or politics, or customer traffic, all of which you can't control, focus your efforts and attention instead on what is within your influence and control: your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions. Take control of those three things and use them to make a positive impact on your team, your customers, and your business.

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Mickey Quinn is the executive director of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce.