With the Year of the Snake ahead what are some of the lessons for business that we could learn from the snake?

First, the snake is often referred to as the little dragon and in the world of business, it is the little dragon of small business that is responsible for so much of job creation. It is important that we all nurture and celebrate entrepreneurship and small business and have in place the supportive infrastructure to enable small businesses to grow into medium-sized and large businesses.

Second, people born in the Year of the Snake are said to be introspective. Similarly, it is worthwhile for people in business to regularly take time to reflect upon and spend time with those matters that may not be urgent but are strategically very important. What is the mission of our organization? How can it best be achieved? What are we best at and how can we use that competency to gain competitive advantage? How can we create the best value for our customers?

Third, people born in the Year of the Snake are circumspect and careful. Similarly, in business it pays to do your due diligence. A small business typically has the entire family, and often extended family's savings and future riding on the success of that business. In this context, being circumspect and careful, especially in these uncertain times, is a good quality and necessary virtue.

Fourth, snakes are alert and opportunistic. Being careful does not mean taking no risks. In fact, taking no risks can sometimes be your biggest risk. Snakes are alert and opportunistic. Similarly, a business must be open to new ways of doing things and new opportunities but at the same time pursue those opportunities with appropriate due care.

Fifth, snakes are on the ground. Vision for a business and lofty goals will mean nothing without effective execution at the ground level. Businesses know that operational excellence is a must if goals are to be met and the value proposition to the customer is to be achieved. The best business leaders know that making a profit is a metric that indicates success. It is a byproduct of delivering superior value to customers and stakeholders.

Sixth, snakes are adaptable, living in almost every climate and geography in the world. Again, in today's challenging environment where change is a daily reality, the best businesses and leaders are adaptable, resilient and possess great coping skills to find a way and make a way to succeed.

Seventh, as a reptile, snakes are among the oldest of species. Similarly, the best businesses are those that take a long term view and are willing to put in the hard work and create the infrastructure to ensure success not only for today, but for the long-term future as well.

Eighth, snakes are calm and patient and yet when confronted or cornered will fight ferociously. Again, these are great traits for a business and its leaders. Patience and persistence wins much of the time and yet there are times when one must also strike, compete and fight hard to achieve the goals.

Ninth, snakes are extremely efficient and thrifty. They know that it can be a long time between meals and so they know how to save and make things last. China leads the world in household savings and this very positive virtue has put the Chinese economy in a very favorable position to continue growing notwithstanding the challenges facing most other parts of the global economy.

And finally, snakes are elegant and graceful and have a successful design that has worked largely unchanged for millions of years. The best organizations are increasingly paying attention to the importance of design and that includes purposely designing a culture of innovation and excellence. Again, China has a 5000-year history of design and one of the world's greatest cultures. Whether it is a business plan, a legal system, a computer program, a car, a business, a curriculum, a law firm or a marketing campaign, an excellent design is a major ingredient to success. Take the case of cities -- a city and its population with a poorly designed sewerage or transportation system will pay a high price for the dysfunction caused by that poorly designed system. In a world that is an increasingly small and more congested place, good design is more important than ever.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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