It was a mistake; one similar to what you or I may have made (or are still making) in our business. This one caused an absolutely beautiful wooded area lining the Rio Grande River as it wound through Albuquerque New Mexico to become a multi-million dollar silvery shimmering smoldering ash heap where nothing is left alive; no trees, no bushes, no flowers, no animals. The second mistake may be one you are making in your business, and you’ll see the parallel in a minute. (For a copy of this article or to debate Paul, go to www.tulenko.com.)

It was all based on good intentions way-back-when. “Oh, don’t cut down the dead trees, leave them there, they’re part of nature.” “Don’t clear the underbrush; the poor little animals won’t have homes (bears, coyotes, rock squirrels, rabbits and other assorted critters).” “Don’t make formal paths through the area, let the cyclists and walkers determine where they want to go.” “Don’t roust the homeless who hang-out there, there’s no other place for them to go.” “We don’t have the time, energy, money, employees, etc., etc., etc. to work on that now.”

You can see where I’m headed. Good intentions left in place far after the fact unintentionally caused Albuquerque to lose a beautiful forested area (called a ‘bosque’ here in New Mexico). The indications are it was arson. The business parallel is that good intentions left in place far after-the-fact may cause (or are causing) you to ‘lose’ your business!

The Governor of New Mexico, Mayor of Albuquerque, State Senators and Congresspeople, City Fathers & Mothers, Officials of all types, and formerly recalcitrant Nature Lovers who have all been ‘involved’ in protecting our fragile environment have now come to recognize that some of the policies, laws, procedures, ‘we’ve always done it that way’ comments, and other such rules and guidelines that have been left in place over the years need serious reconsideration … not so much to ‘fix’ things, because that can’t happen—the bosque is destroyed—but to make sure similar areas don’t go up in smoke. Yes, there will be ‘reconstruction’, and in ten or twenty years it will once again be a great place to visit, but the original beauty and its mystery are gone forever.

Now how does all this relate to your business? I’m suggesting that you may need to examine your present policies, procedures, staffing, customers, location, products, services, management, and everything else that makes your company work to see if your recalcitrance is causing problems! Do you need to make changes NOW, BEFORE a disaster forces changes that may be so bad you have to close up what you’ve worked years for? For example: How about the stone age procedures delineating how you establish credit with your customers (with addendums tacked on from time to time) that now make issuing credit a nightmare? How about selection of new and appropriate products and services? Do you REALLY need that much inventory? What about the scheduling of service calls? How do you greet your prospects on the phone? Are you centrally located for your service area? Do the ‘things’ that have been around for a while fit the changing world around you? Is your business a sleek, efficient, highly profitable business organization with no waste, no fat, no delay, no corporate blocks between you and the profit you are trying to obtain?

It was serendipity. Three days after the fire I received a book to review that could have been written with foreknowledge of all that has transpired. Brian Tracy, a remarkably visionary writer, has written a book which identifies 21 specific actions you should take for your business, no matter its size or shape, if you intend to stay in business.

In no-nonsense words, Brian talks about your hiring practices; how to not just find your competitive advantage, but how to make it work; how to calculate risks before you plunge ahead; how to honestly assess your ability to compete today; and how to make continuous improvement … well, continuous. The book? “TURBO STRATEGY: 21 Powerful ways to transform your business and boost your profits quickly.” $19.95, ISBN 0-8144-7193-5, Amacom. The fire in the bosque made its point in New Mexico; now it’s your turn. Buy the book, read it, then get busy!

(NOTE TO EDITORS: PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING.)
Paul Tulenko is an International Small Business Success Consultant based in New Mexico, USA. Additional tips and suggestions are available at www.tulenko.com or call (toll-free) 1-866-TULENKO.