Businesses Need To Grow Up!
I don’t get all in a flap very often but, while driving into Vancouver one morning I was listening to CBC Radio, I’m not sure who the host was but it was during Rick Cluff’s time slot. The interview was with the Executive Director of the Coquitlam Chamber of Commerce, the discussion was about all the construction parallel to United Blvd. How the new Port Mann Bridge and the freeway construction was hurting business on the boulevard. Now I’m not sure what prompted the host of the show to suggest this but it got me, he asked the Executive Director of the Chamber if the government was going to bail these businesses out or help them out in some way. Say WHAT!
Why is it that everyone believes the government should give people money when most of the businesses could have done something to at least minimize the damage. Hell, I’m certain these businesses in question knew for months if not years this construction was coming, that it was going to happen. The perception now is that they did nothing to prepare, they figured we’ll wait and see how it goes, and if it doesn’t go well, we will put pressure on the government to give us money. I can with all certainty tell you that the future of business will not tolerate this model, in fact, this entitlement thinking will keep our country broke and even bankrupt if allowed to continue.
I would love to know what crazy ideas came to the table behind the closed doors of these businesses, to help get through the next 12 weeks, how many ideas were shutdown and squashed due to fear. There is a huge Casino on this boulevard, the Red Robinson Theatre too. There is much that could be done to partner all these businesses with their hands out, they could work together, now there’s a concept. I’m willing to bet my lunch money The Red Robinson Theatre & The Casino will do just fine, why, people will do anything, go anywhere to feed the need of entertainment and gambling. If that’s the case, then these businesses on United Boulevard should work together to strategize how to work through the next 12 weeks, the big anchors could lead the way.
As you can see, my perception of this dilemma, this was a marketing agencies wet dream, the opportunity is/was huge, but did anyone approach this group of businesses. I suspect not, to my knowledge there has been absolutely no marketing to my neighbourhood, I haven’t seen, heard a Radio or TV ad, not a Tweet about anything to entice me to shop United Boulevard. With all that is availabe to these businesses to market themselves during this construction, I have yet to find any ads in traditional media let alone digital, no crazy awesome deals to make me venture into the construction soup. Maybe I’m not looking in the right place, maybe I don’t care, or maybe they haven’t reached out to make me care.
I shared this story with a group of marketers, the look on their faces was enough for me. So is construction an excuse, is it really the root problem. Or is being prepared the real issue at hand, if you have read this blog regularly, you would know that the future of business has the upper hand. The problem isn’t construction, it isn’t the business, it is however, the owners of those businesses, how they think, and it possibly reveals a lack of foresight. I would like to give the business owners the benefit of the doubt, but, in times like this, businesses need to grow up!
I know, I’m ranting a bit, but this is a great case study don’t you think? So how could these business help themselves, what would you do if you had the opportunity to help these businesses? What crazy marketing ideas would you bring to the table? Would you let road construction be the reason the doors closed your business?
The Future Of Business Is Not Playing It Safe
The title may mess you up a little, but just keep reading and you’ll find the nuggets, if you get what I’m talking about.
A little over a month ago I spoke at a large conference, I was pretty bold, I told people that I hated FaceBook, and that I will offend someone before I’m finished. I did. I also shared that we are hypocritical, for example, I told business owners to give something away for free to those who repeatedly came back to your business, blog, website, anything that you would come into contact with a customer. People actually gasped, I can’t do that one person said. So I asked them, If you won’t give something away, someone else will, but why is it that you won’t give anything away, but yet you are the first one in line when someone else does? Is that you?
Why is it that we build a business, we do everything and anything to get it to a profitable state, we suddenly go into management mode. We actually stop doing what got us profitable, or maybe even successful. We took risk after risk, we didn’t care what anyone said, we didn’t care what anyone thought, we just stepped out and made things happen. We weren’t playing it safe, we were putting ourselves out there, willing to take the hits, the no’s and even the snickers. So what happened?
Giving something away is not a high risk act, in fact, it should be a well thought out strategy. And why wouldn’t you reward those who got you to where you are, they bought you product or service, they even invested time in reading your blog, they probably attended a talk you gave, but yet you still remain closed to the idea.
I’ll bet most of risk something higher in value while building you business, why is it then, once you enter management mode you are reluctant to risk anything? Again I ask you, is this you? If so, maybe it’s time to take a breather and spend some time doing something you may not have done in a very long time.
THANK YOUR COMMUNITY!
Thank them by giving them credit, write about them, brag about them, and maybe even give them something for free. That smacks of the Open & Free Business Model doesn’t it? Without your community you have nothing. In fact, if you fail to do this, you are playing it safe. Don’t do business in a safe manner, always challenge yourself to step close to the edge, learn to trust your community, afterall, they came to trust you first.
The Future Of Business Is Not Playing It Safe, keeping doing the things that made you profitable, and most of all, thank your community.
Headway 3.0 Will Soon Be Released – It’s Amazing
I have been using Headway Themes here since January 2010, I have yet to find anything better when it comes to design and ease of use for a WordPress Site. I am providing the sneak preview video of 3.0 for you here, if you think Headway is for you, do two things:
1.) Watch the video first, then go to number 2.
2. Go to my Headway Page and see over 400 sites using Headway Themes, there are thousands but I don’t have the time to list them all. Click on the Headway Menu item above, or just click here.
Enjoy!
When Business Doesn’t Matter
I want to share from my heart today, please indulged me. I know you can’t imagine a time when business just doesn’t matter, but today, it just doesn’t. On March 4th, 2001 business didn’t matter, and it really hasn’t since, on that date, I suffered a heart attack and today I live to tell the story. Today, my wife & I are dealing with…well, we don’t know what we’re dealing with. You see, my wife’s Father is in the hospital, and he believes he is going to die! He will, but just not yet. There is a possibility he has cancer, and is also having problems with his heart, the diagnoses is still unclear.
Now obviously living is important to business, but a business living, is only important if the one who owns and is responsible for it is alive and healthy. I know what you are thinking, well OK I don’t, but, I know we all get wrapped up in our work, our projects, and we’ll do anything, we will kill ourselves trying to get a business off the ground. But for what? Why?
I can tell you this, if you have ever had a brush with death, the things you chased and worked for, just don’t matter. No one has ever said on their death bed, geez, I wish I had a faster car, or a bigger house. Almost 100% of the time, they say, I wish I had spent more time with my spouse, my kids, and or my immediate family. We are messed up as a people, are priorities most of the time are dictated by things we think are important.
Hell, in some of our businesses we won’t do FREE, we won’t give anything away, but we are the first one’s in line when some other business is giving away something for free. We won’t even help someone in desperate need, most of the time we walk right by. That was random, but it shows the hypocrisy of mankind.
Life is far too short, and when you don’t have your health, not only does business not matter, nothing else matters too! So a pre-requisit to the Future Of Business should be this, take care of your health, your personal health, and it will be much easier to take care of your businesses health.
We need a healthy heart for everything we do, without it, your health and the world you live in, will die with you, and that’s when business doesn’t matter. We have things in the wrong order don’t we, look after personal health first, then, everything else that follows.
Live long & prosper, but only if you have a healthy heart.
Be sure to give to the Heart & Stroke Foundation while you are at it.
The Future Of Business – Workshop In Abbotsford
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The Future Of Business
With Owen Greaves & Special Guest Rick Rake
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| The internet has changed the way the world does business; But will it ever stop changing? |
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Change is constant and the electronic age has served merely to speed up the rate and size of change. If you are in business, or are planning to start a business, understanding how the online world changes everything will position you not only ahead of your competitors, but as a trustworthy ally to customers. Owen Greaves will guide you to understanding the Future of Business. |
| What you can expect in the Future of Business: | |
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The Future of Business Workshop is more than social media, the Internet or the world online; it’s about looking at business differently and fighting for your Businesses Survival. Together with Owen, you will see the Future Of Business and will apply that knowledge to create new ways of embracing the future in your business.
A workbook will be provided to each participant in the 2 – 4 hour workshop to encourage home study and application of the concepts presented. |
| What you will learn in this Engaging Workshop: | Your Investment: $99 Per Person till Sept 23rd Reg Price: $149.00 after Sept 23rd, 2011 |
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Who is Owen Greaves? Owen Greaves lives in beautiful Abbotsford, British Columbia; he is a Futurist, Thought-Leader, Keynote Speaker, Think-Tank Leader, Author, Blogger, and Strategist. He has spent countless hours exploring and understanding what the next 3 to 5 years will bring and applies the vision of reaching out and teaching this model to business people eager to listen and learn. Owen is a man who loves making the paradigm shift around media and commerce to the Internet less painful. |
| Location:Sandman Inn, Abbotsford, B.C. To Reserve Your Seat, Contact: E-Mail: workshop@owengreaves.com |