2009: a Call For Vision

Our new president is an example of a man who's taken his blinders off to see the potential that surrounds him. If we expect to emerge from this recession we're in, he's going to need to teach us a lot about vision and action during the next four years.

In the meantime, here's my call to action: Now's the time for you to focus on your potential and your vision.

The owner of a small shoe factory sends a young salesman to a developing nation. The salesman calls in and says, "These people don't wear shoes. I can't sell anything. I'm coming home." A year later the factory owner sends a saleswoman, with a different attitude and perspective, to the same location. She calls in and says, "These people don't have shoes. This is an untapped market with unlimited potential. I'm opening an office and hiring distributors."

Think it can't happen?

Until the 1970s, the Swiss watch industry had a monopoly and a worldwide market share of about 90 percent. Then quartz technology was developed. Swiss manufacturers rejected the technology. However, the Japanese saw the potential. By 1978 quartz watches had overtaken mechanical watches in popularity, and the Swiss watch industry plummeted into crisis. Many Swiss watch houses became insolvent and the industry suffered financially and psychologically. Today, most of us wear quartz watches that were made in Japan.

Are there blinders in your line of vision?

Can you see the potential in the opportunities that cross your path each day?

What can you do to adjust your vision so you don't miss the possibilities?

Some businesses will not only survive this economic crisis, they'll thrive. Others will wither and die. Those that are still around when the dust settles will have survived because their owners had the vision that helped them complete three key tasks:

• Reduce expenses. What worked during boom times won't work now. If you can't figure out what to trim, sit down with someone who doesn't know much about your business. Show that person your expense spreadsheet. Explain where your money is going. Which expenses can you justify? Which ones seem out of line?
  
  
• Provide exemplary customer service. If you have a service business or a professional practice, the person who answers your phone is one of the most important people in your organization. Make sure this person is well-trained, fairly compensated, patient and loyal. But only a portion of your success rests on his or her shoulders. The rest comes from your ability to keep your customers happy. I'm amazed at how many businesses seem oblivious to the fact that if they don't make their customers happy, there's someone else waiting for the business.
  
  
• Create an out-of-the-box niche. This will make you stand out from the crowd. Your niche is what makes you an expert. If you don't have a niche and nothing in your industry calls to you, start studying your industry's past, current and emerging market trends. Do market research by talking to targeted customer groups and discovering consumers' unmet needs. Having a niche doesn't mean you turn away other business. But having a niche puts you a few notches higher on the food chain.

Marie-Josee Berard, a massage therapist in Broward County, Fla., is one example of an entrepreneur who will survive the down economy. There are nearly 6,000 massage therapists in Broward County. Berard knows how to succeed in this highly competitive market. She does so by:

• Keeping expenses low
  
• Providing great customer service
  
• Having an out-of-the-box niche.

Berard's long-held niche is infant massage. It's her longtime passion and part of her life's mission. It's not a recent development or a result of the down economy. Today, because of the groundwork she laid over a long period of time, she's considered an expert who not only provides infant massage but also teaches it to massage therapists and parents.

Berard also keeps her expenses low. When her lease expired in October, she saw the writing on the wall and moved her business into a smaller space. By reducing her rent, Berard was able to continue providing the services and treatments her clients considered most important. She was able to spend her resources in ways that directly benefited her customers--and that's what customer service is all about.

I've learned a lot about potential and vision from Berard.

If you're struggling in this economy, now's the time to assess and readjust. Even if you're still sailing smoothly with the tide--assess and readjust, because the world outside is changing fast.

Take your blinders off and use your vision to see the potential that surrounds you. Look at your expenses, your customer service and your marketing niche/expertise. You can provide your customers with unique value. Find your inspiration, create a vision, set out to accomplish the tasks laid out here, and you'll be on your way.