Seedlings – Nature’s Little Lesson on Business Success
Posted on June 8, 2011
Right now my yard is peppered with little tree seedlings of various types and shapes. They appear each year at the same time, and while some make it, some don’t… but it never fails, each year they always sprout up.
Seeing this little evergreen rising through the mulch, reminded me of the continuous change in the business world. In business, you need to survive… you have competition, regulations, increasing costs, turnover – the list is endless. And what makes a great business thrive is the ability to adapt and change when needed. Do you continue to do business the same way year after year? For some they are content with this process… “I’ve done it this way for years, and this is how I will always do it”. But for the majority of businesses out there, you constantly need to change. That doesn’t mean you need to “re-invent” your business each year… it simply means you need to keep your eyes and ears open and embrace market change. New trends, consumer demand, new marketing technology, new products. How do you do this? Read news sites, read trade journals, read advertising publications, research, research, research.
Take time each week to learn something new about your business, or how others in your business are doing business. I scour papers and websites each week to find new ideas on topics that have an interest to me or clients of mine. Pay attention. Where is your business moving? Are you with the times, or behind the times? Future success in business (more than ever) depends on your ability to embrace change and make adjustments as needed.
Nature knows that not every tree will last forever, so each year they sprinkle seed pods all over the ground in hopes that 1 in several thousand will make it. What seed pods are you sprinkling on the market? What little things are you doing to ensure your business’s future success? Take a lesson from Mother Nature… do little things. Little things have the opportunity to become BIG things. And BIG things keep your business from winding up in the lumber yard.