Be a Chameleon and Succeed Online
by Judith Kallos
Published on this site: October 15th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Recently, I received an e-mail asking how I know which direction
to take my business and how I've lasted so long in an arena
of here today and gone tomorrows. What was the secret to my
success? My initial reaction was that there really is no "secret."
Then I thought for a moment... "I am a chameleon!"
I've lost count of the number of times I've evolved my technology
consulting business in the last decade. The moment I get a
sniff of a trend, I move. Taking risks or trying new things
never really has been a problem for me. Actually, I don't
see them as a "risk" at the time - just a good idea!
Besides the obvious of always being ultra sensitive to how
I am perceived by virtue of my e-mail habits, Web site and
technology use, there are a handful of issues I think about
almost constantly that I believe have kept my business healthy
and ahead of the curve. I make a point of reviewing these
issues at least once each week to ensure I am addressing the topics that are
most important at that point in time.
So, how do I plan for the future? How do I make business
decisions in an online environment that is always in flux?
Just ask anyone who has been in my office and has asked me
these questions - they were then promptly handed my Fortune
Telling 8 Ball!
For one thing I have never predicted - this gig never existed
previously so how could I possibly make any sort of presumptions?
There simply is no predictability ability. (Say that fast
3 times!)
So when asked to explain how I've gotten to where I am today,
here is a list of things I am constantly thinking about when
it comes to my business:
- What hasn't been done yet that is still a ripe "opportunity."
Folks, there are still a ton of them out there! What products,
services or opportunities do available information and data
indicate may hold potential for my business?
- What has been done that can be done better? What ideas
have been implemented by others but with tweaking, changes
or improvement can be used as a tool for my business? Unlimited
opportunities here as many online are still not doing it
right!
- Business as we know it has changed dramatically, permanently.
The old corporate culture or old school business methodology
many times will hold you back when getting involved in the
online environment. Now, that is not to say business staples
do not apply, just that they may apply differently and more
creatively. You've seen that IBM commercial? Executivus
extinctus? Try something new - on a regular basis. Don't
just think "outside the box"; think under it,
over it and to all four sides.
- Profitability ratios. Where you have cash flow and where
your profit is can be two different areas or they can overlap.
Continually reviewing this information allows you to tweak
your program positively. We are all in business to make
a profit, right? You need to identify where these areas
are and cater to them while at the same time addressing
and minimizing any drains on your profitability. Without
profit, you don't have a business.
- Efficiency. What can be done, changed, modified, added
to ensure that time is used most efficiently. What areas
can be improved upon? What tools can you put in place to
make more time available? Find them, learn how to use them
and put them to work for you.
Many times it is difficult to step away from the day to day
business of running your business to take the time to look
from the outside in. And, sometimes we have to look at our
business models and make the right decisions for all the right
reasons not just what we are comfortable with. Put your ego
on the shelf, look at the facts, available opportunities and
do your due diligence.
My standard reply when asked how I've run my technology business
successfully for the past decade? "Have a plan. Then,
if necessary, be prepared to toss it out the window and create
a new one tomorrow."
"We are chameleons, and our partialities and prejudices
change place with an easy and blessed facility, and we are
soon wonted to the change and happy in it" ~ Mark Twain
Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored
Technology Muse who has played @ http://www.TheIStudio.com
for over a decade. Check out her popular Business Start-up,
Software, Programming and Web Design Cheat Sheets @ http://www.LearnAndThrive.com
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