Stay Current In The Current

By Randall Chase

 I just got back from Institute For Organization Management in LA. While out there I visited a beach  and as I watched the surfers it reminded me of something I have seen in the business world.

I shared this with our Ambassadors recently and it seemed fitting to repost this here. 

Stay Current in the Current

 In a fluctuating market it can be hard to keep yourself in front of the wave. Just like in surfing, there are a few very important keys to be able to keep yourself afloat and riding the wave of the new economy. Your board is your business, the wave is the marketing trend.  

Stay in front:

You have to stay just in front of the wave to ride it. Too far out and it won’t push you, wait too long and it will pass you by.

Ride with it, don’t try to direct it:

You can’t control the wave any more than you can control the market; in small business you must ride with the wave to be successful.

Keep a keen eye out:

You must know which wave to ride and which ones to let pass by. Some waves are short lived and others have staying power. 

There are always more:

Remember that if you miss this wave, there will be another wave coming soon. Just regroup and be ready for the next one. 

They all break:

Every wave drives to the shore, and all waves eventually break, as is the case with the market. Know that getting into it; don’t get too attached to the wave, but keep your board close. Don’t lose your business for the sake of a market trend. Do you remember Pets.com?

You have to start somewhere:

You will never catch a wave if you don’t jump in the water. You will never catch the market if you don’t at least try to ride the wave, sitting on the shore is easy, and it’s easy to criticize from a beach blanket, but get out there yourself. 

Remember its about making a lasting impact in your business, not about the waves of marketing trends. Utilize the wave as a tool to push your business to the next level. But don't get lost in the sea of options, if a marketing trend is working for you keep riding it; if not hop off and look for something else that works better. While this may take time to figure out its worth the time spent. A pro surfer didn't become one overnight, and they probably missed a few good waves along the way.  

Social Media may be your wave to ride, it may not. Print media may be your wave that connects you with the market your business needs. Just know that if one doesn't work for you there are other waves in the ocean, and it may be coming before you know it. Ride it or it could pass you by, or worse yet crash over and sink you. 

Article written by Randall Chase

No portion of this article may be used without the written permission of the author (If you ask I will more than likely say yes though, so be kind).