Is Your Business Model Being Wrecked By Outside Forces?

Posted by Jim Connolly on 30 June, 2010  Email This Post -  Print This Post

After a very exhausting day, we watched three television shows last night.  That’s very unusual, but I couldn’t handle much more than that.  During the second show, three things struck me.  We had recorded all three shows on our DVR system, we didn’t have to schedule our lives around what day/time the programs aired and we didn’t watch any commercials.  Many of you may have done the same thing last night.

The point for the advertising industry is that DVR technology and whatever else comes next are wrecking their business model and will soon destroy it.  The internet is doing the same thing to daily newspapers.  Now, apply that awareness to your company.

What technology, economic force, generational expectation, political swing or customer preference could wreck your business model?  I don’t know about you, but if I see a light up ahead, I want to know if it’s a light at the end of the tunnel or an oncoming train. 

Granted, some industry changes take place so slowly that they sneak up on us.  I hear that a lot from clients.  In spite of that. watch ahead for what’s next.  The lesson is to use innovation, strategic planning, organizational restructuring and leadership not just to keep up with your industry, but to set the standard for what’s next in your industry.  If you do this, your organization will be more stable, more flexible and more profitable.