Get Proven Business Growth Strategies
Delivered to You Every Week
Tales From The Road
Watch Out for Moving Parts
I was talking to an old “office neighbor” - the guy who had the next office from us where we used to be located. He owns the master franchise for North Carolina for the “Anytime Fitness” chain, and we were talking about the complexity of operating all the units he has throughout the state, in addition to the new locations he’s constantly opening. The key, he said, was to try and avoid “moving parts.” Puzzled, and wondering if perhaps he was suffering from oxygen deprivation as a result of working out too hard himself, I pointed out that virtually every piece of equipment in every one of his locations was chock full of moving parts. He smiled, and pointed out that the key to managing an enterprise of this scope is to have as much of it on “autopilot”... Read more »
Business Self-Defense Tactics
“Gut Feeling”
We pay a lot of attention here to making decisions based on facts and data - not on feeling and conjecture. There’s a lot to be said for that, as it forces you to pay close attention to tangible outcomes and results instead of investing thousands of dollars because you think it might be the right thing to do. But there are times when “feelings” can - and should - have a significant impact on your decision-making process. I read a story a number of years ago about a New York City fire captain, who, upon arriving at the scene of a building and walking into an apartment, immediately ordered all of the other firefighters out of the apartment - NOW. Seconds later, the floor they had all been standing on just seconds before gave way…and fell into the burning apartment just... Read more »
