$255 million acquisition of Incentive Technology Group. In Maryland, EN Engineering recently shared news of its plans to double the size of its offices in Anne Arundel County.

Meanwhile, on the national level, organizations such as Deloitte, Toyota, and BlackRock are already investing billions in worker training, manufacturing, and sustainability initiatives for 2020.

And those are just the headlines. Anecdotally, I’ve spoken with numerous business owners with big plans for this year—plans that are already well underway.

What these leaders understand is that success in the first quarter tends to correlate to success throughout the year. Momentum is critical. You need to begin the new year with something in motion, whether it’s a sales push, product launch, business deal, expansion, marketing campaign, or another event or project. You have to hit the ground running—to be among the first out of the gate.

Otherwise, you can expect to get left in the dust. Like it or not, many businesses (including your competitors) are working their hardest. If you can’t keep up with them—if you lose the first quarter, or if it doesn’t go as well as planned—you’ll end up in a hole, playing catch-up in the third and fourth quarters of the year.

Don’t wait until spring to make your next big move. Right now is the ideal time to focus your energy, time, and investment in your business.

I realize this is easier said than done. Plenty of us are still shaking off the holiday season and finding our footing after a long break. For many people, November and December were intense crunch periods—it was an endeavor just to complete the work in front of us, to make it to the finish line. Coming back from a (much-needed) break and ramping your business up for 2020 can feel like cranking a locomotive engine by hand.

But nailing the first quarter isn’t about making a deadline or clearing your desk. It’s about setting the pace and tone for the rest of the year.

So if you haven’t already, take that first leap of 2020. Get your business moving. Do it now, while there are no distractions. Because—before you know it—winter will turn to spring, spring will turn to summer, summer will turn to fall, and the holidays will take over once again.

Have a major initiative planned for the next few months? Want to make 2020 your business’s biggest year yet? Let’s talk.

ABOUT MIKE MERCURIO

Mike Mercurio | mmercurio@offitkurman.com | 301-575-0332

Michael N. Mercurio is a leading attorney in the field of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). He serves as outside general counsel in buy-side and sell-side M&A, as well as in all business law and real estate law matters. As a strategic partner to firm clients, Mr. Mercurio regularly counsels entrepreneurial individuals and assorted entities on the many challenges, issues, and opportunities companies face throughout the business lifecycle—from start-up to eventual exit.

ABOUT OFFIT KURMAN

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