ALL MISTAKE MAKERS ARE NOT ALL EQUAL

Why small business can't ever make the mistakes big business can and survive.

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“ “going forward – we will not be using elephant meat in our double burgers!”. Or whatever unthinkable mistakes they might have made.

FORWARD

From the book: Forward Marketing

By; Richard Hendry, co-founder of Main Street Business Consulting

I love that word – FORWARD – it has so many meanings. Here is denotes the opening remarks by your humble author.

It also is a direction and if you think about it, it is also a commentary on the human condition, because there is going back. We live in a linear existence.

There is really only one way for us to go.

However, to many, it’s used as an excuses for past mistakes as in “going forward” which is big in the “no fault” management styles of the big corporations.

No matter how bad they screw things up or insult or hurt people or employees or even profit – they simply pay the price, change course and tell everyone that

“going forward – we will not be using elephant meat in our double burgers!”.

Or whatever unthinkable mistakes they might have made.

And with the sort of money, market share and empty landscape devoid of any real competition – they can absorb those kinds of mistakes and then spend gobs of cash to buy their way back into your good graces or at least, back to square one.

A great example of this is the fact that as you drive the highways and byways of our great country –

BP GAS STATIONS ARE STILL OPEN!!!!

So much for the long memories and foul retribution from the modern environmentalists! For a feeling that seems to be in abundant supply – OUTRAGE – it has a very short half life.

But, why am I talking about this?

In a book on small business marketing?

Really for a few hundred reasons, not least of which is that if you bought this book – you do not have the money or resource to throw vaults of cash at major cock-ups like your big brother can. In times of crisis – he with the deepest pockets win.

As a small business start up or buyer or owner – you are in a small percentage of people that have a front row seat to post apocalyptic wasteland of today’s small business playing field. And unlike your so called “counter parts” in those big boxes, you have a home and a local number and people that are mad at you about something that went wrong can find you.

Rip into you and to paraphrase the classic Disturbed song

“Open up their hate, and let it flow into you”

Because, unlike the way it should be, people hold small business to a higher standard.

They are harder on them both intentionally and unintentionally.

Mainly due to the fact that if they give you same kind of bad reviews online – you can’t bury that review with 100 good reviews bought from an India based web farm. People do not realize that the forceful attacks that they unleash on Best Buy (which is about as troubling to them as throwing your used gum at the store) could cost you – the small business owner – a few days margin. And maybe if they really go to town on you, end you.

There was a study done a few years back that said that a stunning percentage of the population was 90 days from being homeless.

Today?, that where small business is living. In a zone of 90 to 180 days from insolvency.

Just take a look at how many small businesses could not endure the Covid shutdown.

And that was not from a changing financial landscape or a single businesses cash flow issue – it was a disaster that everyone had to deal with but, only small business could not recover from. The deep pockets endured, the businesses in that zone?

Gone.

Which is why mistakes that can be avoided, should be avoided.

But, you know that.

What you may not know is that everyday, educated people in businesses everywhere – make costly mistakes. And it is not because they can not learn from their mistakes, its because they are unaware of these mistakes. Because they were either built into their business model or never even considered to be a problem when they began. And even if these things were not a problem at start up, they could be now.

Because things change and keep changing.

The world of business is a living and growing organism that is like a child that is 3 years old one day and the next they are driving. The only difference is that your kid will do everything they can to not run you over. The world? It simply does not care.

So how do avoid becoming a hit and run victim of this economy?

Simple – make sure your the driver! And it would help if you fill that car with the best help you can find. Marketing, partnering and branding need to be in that car with you.

Helping you navigate.

Pointing out possible hold ups and roadblocks......

Safe driving!

You can read more each week from the book Forward Marketing right here or order it on Amazon today.