One of my teams showed the following history.
Year PCT Place Playoffs(Y/N)

96 .444 4 N
97 .419 4 N
98 .619 1 Y
99 .550 2 Y
00 .688 1 Y
01 .644 2 Y
02 .613 1 Y

The above years are for PB seasons only. The team was acquired in the old CSN leagues, and I don't have their winning records from 94 and 95...but I recall they were losing teams. So it took about 4 years of development to achieve a long run of success. I primarily develop through the rookie draft, and as my draftees matured, the team took off. Most others, on this forum, tend to think development of a winning team will occur faster...but that's not my experience.
So patience, enjoy the draft preparation and draft process, limit the trades, and you can develop a consistent winner. If you don't have the patience to develop a team...then maybe this isn't your hobby.