If you read the articles on my blog, you saw that everything — absolutely everything — must pass through the prism of what will happen in the next crisis. You no longer have to make the same mistakes that you made before. There is no time left for mistakes and experiments! You don’t have to do any more tests that cost you time and money. You need to earn and save money now!
Only companies that respond quickly and wisely to crisis threats will survive. The rest will be swept away by the economic tsunami. Those who survive will thrive, because they will take over the customers that other businesses lose. That`s pure logic! And that’s what I will say many times, because for you this is a fantastic opportunity during a crisis. It’s an obvious truth, isn’t it?
Remember, no crisis is the end of the world. On the contrary, it’s a fantastic opportunity! As you will see during our discussion of the history of crises, those who prepare before the crisis early have the best chance of succeeding during the storm.
Do not delay! If you didn’t start getting ready yesterday, start today!
Does it sound like I’m talking about an emergency? Yes, I am! It is really urgent, because many things require adapting and repairing. Many changes are necessary, even for a smaller company.
Often, the direction needs to be changed, and many procedures or decisions are out of control if we don`t take care of them NOW. If we want to live well in crisis, we must prepare, not react when the wave comes. Because there will be no time to react after that. Doesn’t that sound horrifying?
Of course, you can ask: If the crisis doesn’t come—or doesn’t occur soon—what are these techniques useful for? My dear friend, they can be used to earn more, to have stronger businesses, and to have healthier, more prosperous lives.
Most entrepreneurs see economic changes as being negative. And crises are even more threatening: like a curse that demolishes everything that business owners have built over the years. Do you feel the same way?
Well, here’s more good news: The crisis brings undreamed opportunities that others only see as threatening.
When I was a little boy, my grandparents used to collect rainwater from the chimneys and put it in barrels to wash us. They used to pretend that it was “special water” that would make us grow faster and healthier. There was some truth to this whole explanation. Now there’s special water that has been purified and re-magnetized by expensive devices, which is used to improve health and help children be healthy.
For my grandparents, rain meant an opportunity to have special water. For others, it could create a flood that would drown their cultures. So the same rain is a threat to some, but an opportunity for others.
Similarly, to give a classical business example: For some people, a discontent customer’s observation is a source of concern and an occasion to demonstrate the customer that he’s wrong (maybe silly). Meanwhile, for others, it is a fantastic opportunity to improve their business in ways that keep customers loyal.
As Paco Lopez said, “In crises, there are two kinds of people: some who cry, and some who sell handkerchiefs.”
If we train ourselves to see the crisis as an opportunity, we realize that NOW is the best time to cut all the dried branches. For example, remove employees who don’t want to be or cannot be efficient and performing, despite our efforts to make them feel like they are.
Another example: Let’s think about—and make—better buying decisions. Your suppliers will be affected by the crisis. A few are preparing for the crisis, so you can choose your best, most flexible, and least expensive providers. Then you’ll become stronger, more flexible, and (if needed) less expensive yourself. But as we will discuss, perhaps being cheaper during the crisis is a mistake.
It`s a long discussion – I`m telling you this after I’ve put a system into practice as a legal adviser, then a HR Manager and finally as a business consultant. I`ve polished this system during 19 years (from which 11 I gained experience in HR), and it gave results, including in my company. You can find some of the secrets of the conception That Worked here………………………
