Why You Should Destroy Your Business to Rebuild It

In Indiana we have two seasons, Winter and Road Construction.  Neither one is much fun to drive in. However today I’m going to share the parallels of these two seasons and challenge you a bit.  Let’s dig in to: Why You Should Destroy Your Business to Rebuild It.

There are a couple reasons why we have road construction.

One is that the road is worn out.  It is filled with potholes.  Wear and tear with time and weather, especially those winters.  This happens to businesses too.  Certain aspects need to be fixed or replaced due to age and use.

Another reason we have road construction is that the road has become popular. More traffic is using the road and it needs upgraded.  For the last couple of years, they have been widening a road near our house from 2 lanes to 4 lanes to accommodate the extra volume of cars and trucks.  Is your business limited because of size?  Are you turning away business because you are not capable of handling more due to the structure and organization of your business?

A third reason we have road construction is that the original road was inferior. While this is not as common in the road business, it is pretty common with new businesses.  Because of the standards that are in place for building roads and all the checks and balances along the way, most roads are fine when they are built and will last for years without needing repair or patching.

Not so with new businesses.   You don’t need any special qualifications to start a business.  Just an idea and the action to make it real.  This leaves many new businesses with missing pieces that were overlooked when the business started and will need to be fixed as soon as possible.  It could be related to permits, accounting, taxes, payroll, or any number of issues that are not at the forefront of most entrepreneurs.

For any or all of these reasons you may need to Destroy Your Business and Rebuild It.  But hang on and let’s continue to look at the options compared to the road construction industry.

If there are some fatal flaws that will land you in jail or paying fines, you must address those now.  Not paying the state the sales taxes you collect is one of those fatal flaws I have seen occur more than a few times in the past dozen years.

Sometimes you need to shut down a portion of your business while you fix or rebuild.  Be sure to provide a detour and let your customers know what is going on or you can lose them forever.

Sometimes you need to expand in order to meet the demand.  Always keep in mind the end goal when you do this and beware of short cuts that are only temporary fixes.

Sometimes you will meet resistance. The neighbors like the two lane gravel road and don’t want a four lane blacktop road.  “Hey, it’s been like this forever and worked so there is no need to change it now” statements are common.  With that type of thinking we would be stuck in the past forever.   Too many businesses are going to die with this mindset.  I understand the battle but instead of hanging onto all the traditional ways of doing things from the past, look at ways to hang on to the traditional values of the past and see how you can adapt them to fit the business you are building for the future.

Very few people, (I know NONE), want to return to dirt and gravel roads and eliminate pavement as a preferred road.

Your challenge is going to be figuring out the logistics to accommodate your current customers while you are rebuilding your business to better serve them and serve your future customers.

One thing is for sure.   If you don’t Destroy Your Business and Rebuild It, It will fall in disrepair and you won’t have a business at all.

 

Need help?  Contact me.