|
PRISTINE LANDSCAPING, INC - your best choice for the lawn you really want.
In Business Since
1998
Graham businesses deal with
recession
Courtesy of the Dispatch
MarketPlace, by Bruce Smith
2/25/2008
 Weathering
the storm of these economic times requires more than
belt-tightening - it will require fundamental
changes in how owners think about their businesses.
That theme was presented by Brian Kaplan, the
featured speaker at last week's Graham Business
Association (GBA) meeting.
Drawing from his
experiences as a professional photographer in
Chicago, Kaplan described what radical change can
look like. He moved to Seattle, added a graphic
design component to his career and then started a
small newsletter called "Uptown Coffee News" that is
distributed in coffee shops throughout the central
Puget Sound area.
"The best thing
you can do right now to help our economy is help
someone start a new business," Kaplan said.
"And the number one thing you can do to help your
own business is reach out to the community and be of
service.
Kaplan said
these techniques can help owners re-invent their
businesses, find new revenue streams, and identify
the mentors and partners that will facilitate those
changes. Kaplan also said that the downturn
itself furnishes the opportunity to design the new
business plan.
"Take the slow
time the downturn offers to contemplate the big
questions, such as: what is your personal mission,
why are you in business, and what is your vision -
your guidelines - for your life?"
"Build
relationship. Get a mentor," Kaplan added. "Find
people you can trust and brainstorm. And make a
business plan so you can measure your performance."
To back up his
message, Kaplan offered a free, 30-minute mentoring
session to GBA members. Former GBA president Wally
Balmer shared other valuable insights. "The greatest
thing that prevents us from changing is fear.
You have to remember that progress is not always
perfection. Just keep going forward."
In a followup
discussion, Graham entrepreneur Andy Aydelott
suggested that change is an ongoing process in any
successful business or career. Aydelott, who owns
Pristine landscaping Co., was once a corporate
salesman.
"I was tired of
the travel, and being away from family. I need a
change," he said. Now he manages three crews that
perform landscaping services to dozens of churches,
residential communities and corporate sites.
"We've had to
change as the times change, too," Aydelott said.
"We're doing more residential work and less
corporate. Also, we're focusing on smaller jobs that
are more consistent over time, and not chasing after
the big, one-shot contract."
|
