Being in business is a game of survival of the fittest. It wasn’t always that way. In the past, you could be mediocre and survive. Today, the competition is too strong.

Strong leadership is one of the keys to success. This applies whether we’re talking about a one or two person operation or a Fortune 500 company. Businesses need to have a vision, keep both eyes on the road ahead and know what turns to make.

The competition used to be concentrated to a small area, maybe in the same town, same state or a neighboring state. Not anymore. It might come from across the country, or China or India.

Who would have thought that our credit card inquiries would be handled by someone in India, our manufacturing interests would be threatened by an industrialized China or the local mom and pop florist would be competing with an 800 number, Internet sites, the grocery and big box store?

Keeping up is harder than ever. You may have the next great idea or need more space to grow, but to carry out those ambitions requires capital. Lending institutions have become cautious. Before the slowdown, you were getting 100 percent financing to expand, add a new product line or open at a second location. Now you may only be offered 60 percent or 65 percent and you are expected to come up with the rest. I think back to what the business mix was like in Springfield in the ’60s, ’70s and into the ’80s, and how it has changed. There were more car dealerships.

Today’s business owner also must be technologically savvy. Putting up a user-friendly Web site was once cutting edge. Now, it’s a necessity. Are you on Facebook? Are your competitors?

Springfield has been fortunate. Change can be for the better. The Kissell Company had a few hundred employees. It morphed into Assurant Specialty Property with 1,800 employees and has become the largest employer on one site in Clark County.

Likewise, the Air National Guard Base found a new mission in training Dutch pilots. This year, the base will be home to 70 additional slots for guardsmen who will work in the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where 30 currently from the ANGB work.

Avetec will bring in additional users and earn contracts as it evolves. Code Blue, the insurance service provider, has indicated a strong preference for bringing 250 jobs to downtown Springfield. Its presence would change the ambiance of the city’s core.

We continue to work on bringing new technology-related companies to the Nextedge Applied Research and Technology Park.

While we are courting high-tech development, we continue to seek to enhance the traditional machining businesses that have been so prevalent in Springfield, such as the McGregor operations, Beach Manufacturing and Navistar International.

Education at all levels must be a top priority for progress to continue. When I started out, Clark State was just a dream in Richard Brinkman’s eye. Today, it’s one of the fastest growing community colleges in the country and a tremendous asset to progress in Springfield, Clark County and surrounding counties. Wittenberg University is one of the largest employers in town and has put an emphasis on community involvement.

Academically, Wittenberg has improved its science and Asian Studies programs to prepare students for the new intellectual and business challenges of the future brought on by global competitiveness.

Another major change is we have to think regionally. We used to think about Springfield and be protective of our niche in the area. That is a big change in our society because people are much more mobile.

Our challenge is to keep what we have and bring new companies into the region. Only the strong will thrive.

Dave Hobson served in the U.S. Congress from 1991 to 2009. He is president of Vorys Advisors LLC, an affiliate of Columbus law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, that provides business strategic council to the firm’s clients.