Only 90 minutes may have separated Northampton Town from relegation to the Conference last season but there is no reason why the Cobblers should be thinking merely of safety in the 2014/15 campaign.
Although the gulf between the Premier League and Football League widens every year with the increased television revenues being generated by the top-flight, the opportunity exists for well-run, ambitious clubs to reach the Championship and consolidate there.
A club's reputation, as Northampton's groundshare partners show, counts for little if bad decisions are made both on and off the field and the likes of Rotherham United, Chesterfield and Fleetwood Town are showing the way forward.
And, although the Cobblers have come in for some criticism after a revision of their redevelopment plans, no-one could argue that Town are happy just standing still.
Successive managers have been backed in the transfer market (perhaps too much at times with almost a revolving door of players coming in and going out at times) while the summer work is designed to ensure that different revenue sources are opened up.
Chris Wilder has resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes to the squad he inherited and has done the majority of his transfer business before the return for pre-season training, John-Joe O'Toole linking up with the squad this week after opting for Sixfields ahead of interest from elsewhere.