Sometimes the best way to keep your business growing is to analyse what would bring it to an end.
Judge Smails (aka Ted Knight) once famously quipped in the iconic Caddyshack, “It’s easy to grin when your ship comes in and you’ve got the stock market beat. But the man worthwhile is the man who can smile when his shorts are too tight in the seat.”
There is a great deal of truth in the movies, even in zany comedies, if you really listen to what they have to say.
In the end, Judge Smails was right. It’s easy to sit back, relax, and congratulate yourself on a job well-done when everything is going right. Sales are up? Great. Marketing is driving business to you? Fantastic. Things have never been better. Wonderful. However, when your company’s ship comes in don’t just sit there and take it all in. Sure, enjoy it. But while you are enjoying it it is imperative to take some initiative, prepare for the future, and make your business better by trying to envision ways it could be torn down. In short, prepare for when your pants are too tight in the seat.
Many businesses have now adopted what they call a Legion of Doom: a division within the company that looks for ways to take down the business from within. Those selected then report their findings so that the company may determine what, if any, of the forces could actually manifest themselves realistically thus leading to the demise of the business as they know it. Once this real-life role playing is in effect, it can truly help you to insulate your business by creating systems to address these potential threats well in advance of when they may occur.
…to read this article in full, visit leading US small business resource, Inc.
