There's nothing easy about running a business in today's economy.  Organizations in every sector are being forced to take a hard look in the mirror and make very difficult decisions in terms of where to focus their energy and where to make reductions.

It's no secret that the home remodeling and construction space has certainly taken a hit over the past two years.  At the Window Factory, we've had to carefully examine and rethink every aspect of our business to maximize productivity and find a balance between our incoming business and our operational overhead.

Throughout this process, a few key themes have emerged that I think any business owner or entrepreneur can benefit from while trying to weather this economic storm:

• Never lose track of where you are financially. Track it day by day if you have to.

• Don't be afraid to re-evaluate every aspect of the business.

• Recognize that those employees who have been a staple of the company for years may not be a good fit now.

• Focus on the customer and his/her needs.

• Remember that your vendors can be your best allies.

It's definitely a challenging time to keep any business afloat, but with great challenges come great opportunities.  Here at the Window Factory we've taken advantage of this chapter of our company history to get innovative in how we manage our operations, how we communicate with customers and how we work with our vendor partners.

By keeping these tips in mind on a daily basis, we're confident that we'll emerge a stronger company once the economy does turn around.

-JJ