Monday, March 22. 2010
I love to hear the birds in the morning as they welcome the dawn. With daylight saving time upon us, I am awake in the morning while it is still dark outside, so I have noticed the symphony of sounds that accompany each new day. We have owls, hawks, eagles, woodpeckers, mockingbirds, and a variety of songbirds that reside in the wooded areas all around my home. I am always entertained by the antics of how they all attack my backyard birdfeeder at feeding time. They are beautiful and they have provided a real source of entertainment and enjoyment for my family.
However, this weekend I witnessed the harsh reality of life in the bird world. As I backed my car out of the driveway, a hawk swooped into the drive and captured a small bird in his talons. It was a swift and precise maneuver that stopped me in mid sentence. (as you know, that is really hard to do!) The hawk paused for a few seconds with the small bird firmly in its grasp, and then flew off with its prey. It was over in 20 seconds, with my wife and I watching in stunned in silence. The brutal reality of survival in the bird world was just illustrated in front of me… an aggressor and it’s prey, the death of one giving life to another…Was this the penalty for the small bird making the wrong move, or a reward for the hawk for being so swift and strong? …or just the reality of life in the bird world?
So, how does this apply to business? In this difficult economy, I witness the daily fight for survival in the business world. There is beauty in a new business idea, and combined with the anticipation, and excitement of running your own business, however, there are many hawks out there in the business world too! There is the constant possibility of a swift and strong aggressor just waiting to swoop in and capture an unsuspecting prey. Many small businesses have died, only to give life to other new businesses.
For existing businesses, there is great satisfaction in making a sale, or winning a contract, but there are always those unforeseen obstacles that could put you out of business in the blink of an eye. Business survival is just as competitive as survival in the bird-world. As small business owners, we need to stay cautious, and stay alert, although unless we leave the nest, we can never experience the thrill of flying… so what to do?
I say remain nimble, cut your costs, stay close to your clients, and… work like crazy to become an eagle so the hawks start looking out for us!