<p><a href="http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/gear-up-for-opportunity-lg.jpg"><img style="border-width:0;margin:5px;" border="0" alt="Gear-Up-for-Opportunity-lg" align="right" src="http://new.corepurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/gear-up-for-opportunity-lg_thumb.jpg" width="270" height="226"></a>As business owners, we are always on the look out for opportunities.&nbsp; But, too often, great opportunities pass us by because we are not ready for them.&nbsp; Capturing a great opportunity and making the most of it takes a combination of three things - Awareness - Access - and Ability.&nbsp; Like cogs in a machine, each plays a critical role in driving action forward.&nbsp; Otherwise, as you are standing still, opportunities may pass you by.</p> <p><strong>AWARENESS</strong></p> <p>There is a reason<strong> AWARENESS</strong> forms the biggest cog in the opportunity process.&nbsp; The world is&nbsp; full of opportunities, but knowing which is the right one for you and your business requires a continual scanning of the marketplace.&nbsp; Some opportunities are great for someone, but not necessarily great for you. Others may be hidden and require a bit of polishing&nbsp; up before they are ready to be considered. But if you are not continually searching, scanning your markets, and aware of the changing trends, you have not got a chance.&nbsp; Before you know it the opportunity has passed and you only see it when someone else takes advantage of it.</p> <p><strong>ACCESSS</strong></p> <p>As you become aware of new or current opportunities, the gear turns and triggers a need for <strong>ACCESS</strong>.&nbsp; To capture the opportunity's potential, the teeth bite in turning the next gear.&nbsp; In the case of opportunity access, think of the teeth as the six key assets you will need to take advantage of the opportunity. In most cases these are:</p> <ol> <li>The right talent to make things happen  <li>The right resources to build up from  <li>The right market to serve  <li>The right partners to deliver through  <li>The right processes to keep things rolling  <li>The right funding and business partners to grease the wheels</li></ol> <p>Each of these assets are critical. If one is missing the wheels stop turning and the opportunity engine skips and stutters.</p> <p><strong>ABILITY</strong></p> <p>The final gear is that of your <strong>ABILITY</strong> to execute.&nbsp; I spend a lot of my day speaking with business owners and other leaders.&nbsp; Most, when faced with a challenge, can lay out their goals, their mission and their plans.&nbsp; But when the gears jam up it is almost always due to a lack of execution.&nbsp; One missed step or flaw can make the difference between success in making the most of an opportunity or the failure to do so.&nbsp; When one missing critical process brings things to a grinding halt and the opportunity engine seizes up we tend to want to force it.&nbsp; Yet as leaders, our job is not to take a crow bar to the the gears (that almost always makes matters worse) but to make adjustments or shift alignment so that things start running smoothly again.&nbsp; For it is only when we are moving forward that we can keep abreast of our opportunities and capture them.</p> <p>So don't let your great opportunity pass you by.&nbsp; Focus on the three A's - Awareness, Access, and Ability.&nbsp; When you do, you just might find that opportunity will not pass you by...instead it will come knocking at your door.</p> <p>Thanks for stopping by.&nbsp; Stay tuned...</p> <p>Joan Koerber-Walker</p> <div style="display:inline;margin:0;padding:0;" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e63a9180-8ef8-4a8f-83ef-90a99e205367" class="wlWriterSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Joan%20Koerber-Walker" rel="tag">Joan Koerber-Walker</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/CorePurpose" rel="tag">CorePurpose</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Opportunites" rel="tag">Opportunites</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Business" rel="tag">Business</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Tips" rel="tag">Business Tips</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Entrepreneurs" rel="tag">Entrepreneurs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Business%20Strategy" rel="tag">Business Strategy</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Execution" rel="tag">Execution</a></div>